On the eve of the deadline to form a government in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, offered this Monday (May 3) to Naftali Bennett, leader of the radical right, to assume first the function of head of government, in as part of a possible power rotation agreement.
Benyamin Netanyahu, who has until tomorrow Tuesday evening to form a coalition, led final negotiations on Monday to rally the radical right, even Islamists, in a government and thus stay in power.
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His right-wing Likud party won thirty seats out of 120 in the Knesset in the March 23 parliamentary elections (the fourth in less than two years) and then won the support of ultra-Orthodox parties and a far-right alliance, but without succeeding in gathering a majority of 61 seats. In an attempt to approach it, he proposed this Monday to Naftali Bennett, his former collaborator who became leader of the radical right-wing Yamina party, to first serve as prime minister for a year. "
I call on Naftali Bennett to sign today an agreement to establish a right-wing government, with a one-year rotation under his leadership, and to pledge not to join any other government
Benyamin Netanyahu said in a video posted on Facebook. But Naftali Bennett returned the buck, refusing, at least for now, the offer and accusing Netanyahu of having been bitter in recent weeks against his party. "
Get a government up and we'll be there to help,
" Bennett said at a meeting of his party in the Knesset, urging Netanyahu to pressure Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism list instead.
To reach a majority, Netanyahu must rally the ultra-Orthodox parties, the Yamina and religious Zionism formations but also the Islamist Raam formation. But Bezalel Smotrich refuses to join a government supported by Islamists, saying Monday, May 3, preferring "to
go in the opposition
". "
We will not sell off our values,
" he said. If Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form a government by Tuesday 11:59 p.m. (8:59 p.m. GMT) or does not get a last-minute extension, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will give another elected official the mandate to attempt to form the government. Opposition leader Yaïr Lapid said he was ready on Monday to make "
compromises
" to form a "
government of national unity.
”And thus avoid new elections.
