Two months back from today, Amichai Shikli was still examining the possibility of establishing a party under his leadership to be an alternative to the soft right crowd and increase the bloc of the national camp led by Netanyahu. Now he is armored in Likud in 14th place, but what made him give up on founding a party and offers from other parties, among them a technical connection to MK Bezalel Smotrich?
In the last two months, he kept silent, did not appear in the media, rarely spoke, engaged in examining the political options that stood before him.
Shikli is not in the consciousness according to which he comes to conquer the Likud, it is important for him to come modestly, to take the long way.
He did not deserve to conquer the Likud.
Shikli, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
In a special interview with Israel Hayom, he tells for the first time about the decision to arm the Likud and says: "I have one clear and sharp goal in front of my eyes - where I can contribute in the maximum way to ensuring the victory of the national camp in the upcoming elections and ending the political tie we have seen in the last rounds. Only this guided me. In the end, the decision was made when the strategic question is which public I want to tie my fate with.
"I decided not to go in a sectoral direction but to the same public from whom I have received so much warmth and love in the last year, and that is the people of Israel in the broader sense. That is why I thought that in the long term it was right to go to Likud even if in a political framework of five mandates it was possible to come stronger in the short term, the decision to tie My destiny to join the Likud seemed more correct to me in the long term. As for the bloc with Smotrich - that idea came up, but it is also more natural for me to join the Likud."
Why did you shelve the idea of establishing a right-wing liberal party?
"It was always just a possibility, I never said it was the decision. When you look at the political landscape right now, there are two central forces - the Black Flag Protest and Lapid, and on the other hand there is the Likud, and in the middle of that segment called the soft right, it is very small electorally. Given the fact that there is the MK Abir Kara and the Zionist spirit and everyone starts a party, the public does not pay attention to this, it was a move that could put the entire camp in danger.
It is very difficult to maintain parties like the new right, all of us and a new hope.
The culture of political exits that Bennett, Handel and Shaked made is a problematic culture.
Before establishing a party, there must be a movement."
The role of the Ombudsman is to assist the Prime Minister
Who are you negotiating with? Bismuth, Bardogo, Gal Hirsch? How much was it worth in the polls?
"I respect people's privacy and I will not comment. Regarding the polls, it ranges from two to four mandates, which is very respectable after a year in politics. It had a chance, but from my experience in the new right, several parties running on the same ticket is something that causes mutual destruction and endangers the camp".
Netanyahu asked you to form a party? When did he promise you the armor? Back when you opposed the citizenship law?
"At no point did Netanyahu ask me to form or not form a party. I consulted with him and shared my thoughts with him, but the decision was mine alone. The issue of armor was never on the table before the compromise in my district."
The armor did not go up until the compromise in my district.
Netanyahu, photo: Dodo Greenspan
Did Minister Ayelet Shaked offer you to join her?
"There were inquiries from all kinds of messengers that I appreciate that were probably on her behalf. I told them clearly that this would not happen. Shaked is irrelevant, every voice for her is a voice for the trash, the one who sabotages the efforts of the National Camp is Shaked who is unable to deal with the consequences of the unfortunate decisions she made, she Can't really take responsibility. What we've seen from her in the last week is too little and too late. Shaked needs to take a break from politics, it's not a shame, she needs to beat the sin, it's the least she needs to do so she can come back in the future."
About a year ago, you criticized Netanyahu, according to which he is not right-wing enough, what has changed since then?
"My main criticism of Netanyahu was in matters of policy. When there were achievements I applauded, such as the issue of foreign relations and the Abraham Accords in which he led Israel in an unprecedented way, and his economic achievements. I think that in a democratic movement it is possible to criticize the head of the party unlike in Bish Atid where if you criticize, you end up as a voice witness."
Will you work for the Likud to really uphold the right-wing policy?
"I will turn over every stone to make sure that when the Likud says the right, it will do the right. The Likud has had significant achievements in these issues, and I believe that we will bring tremendous achievements in the near and stable government for four years that the Likud will establish."
Unfortunate decisions.
Shaked, photo: Gideon Markovich
What do you think should be done in the judicial system?
"We need to make significant reforms in the system. We need to lead a policy of minimum sentences. I think that the role of a legal adviser to the government is to help the government and its leader implement its policies in accordance with the law. This is the definition of the job. The ombudsman is not a gatekeeper of the public interest, who that gatekeepers of the public interest are those elected by the people elected to promote policy.
In addition, the combination between a general prosecutor and a legal advisor created a very problematic situation.
In fact, the ombudsman holds some kind of gun and this creates an unhealthy relationship. It is right to separate the roles, it will strengthen the judicial system."
Not to stop Netanyahu's trial
Should a legal advisor be a fiduciary? What will you change in the committee for appointing judges?
"In government offices, yes. An ombudsman who is opposite to a minister is a malfunction in the democratic mechanism.
In the Committee for the Appointment of Judges, the presence of the Bar Association is an anomaly that has no precedent in any other country, it creates a problematic give and take relationship.
Judges in the Supreme Court should be elected in a way similar to the election of the president - by voting in the Knesset.
All in all - it should be after a process."
Should the Netanyahu trial stop or continue?
"A reality has arisen in which every prime minister is sometimes interrogated here for trivial matters. In the first place, Netanyahu's trial should never have come. I believe in his innocence, but the trial should not be stopped."
MK Shikli, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Shikli's main flags are the issues of governance, internal security and education.
"In areas where the Jewish population is sparse, such as the center of the Negev and the heart of the Galilee, settlement must be strengthened and the young population encouraged through land marketing. Many times bureaucratic levels have made it difficult to implement the decisions made. I intend to put the issue at the heart of the agenda."
Those who know you know that you are more liberal than most Likudniks on matters of religion and state.
What do you think of Netanyahu's concession to the ultra-Orthodox regarding core studies?
"There is no doubt about the importance of core studies. Even among the ultra-Orthodox public who want to learn Torah, there is a desire to integrate into employment. Anyone who thinks that a man like Avigdor Lieberman, whose vision is to throw the ultra-Orthodox in a wheelbarrow into the dump, is the man with whom it is possible to create collaborations with the ultra-Orthodox. His message is that those Core studies are decrees. Regarding the agreement with Netanyahu there is a lot of disinformation, Netanyahu canceled Lieberman's sanction and returned the situation to normal."
What is your position on public transportation on Shabbat?
"The king's way in matters of religion and state is to talk with the ultra-Orthodox public. At the national level, it is not true that there should be public transportation in Israel on Shabbat, at the local level, I think it is possible to regulate the issue, especially if it is done through private companies."
Are you in favor of the Western Wall layout?
"The existence of the Israel Plaza that allows a family to come in the afternoon to approach together and put a note at the Western Wall is something I don't see a problem with. I am very sorry that there are those who have chosen to make the plaza an arena of provocations."
Will you oppose a government in which Netanyahu will let Gantz be the first prime minister in rotation if you don't get 61 mandates?
"I will support any decision by Netanyahu on the subject. My ambition is that this will not happen. Likud is the big movement, and we need to uproot the phenomenon of a prime minister with few mandates and an alternate prime minister."
will not veto against him.
Gantz, photo: Gideon Markovich
Are you in favor of a narrow or broad right-wing government?
In an ideal world I would prefer a partnership of as many Zionist parties from the center and the right as possible.
But since Gantz, for example, abandons the residents of Judea and Samaria, at this stage I prefer a narrow, one-sided government."
Is Itamar Ben Gvir a legitimate partner? Can he be a minister?
"Ben Gabir is clearly a legitimate partner. He has made a significant process in recent years. I have not heard any racist statement from him, unlike the character assassination they do to him. I don't always connect with the style and statements and solutions he offers. From a minister's point of view, I don't see any problem. The de- The legitimization that is being done to him is intended to whitewash the alliance that Lapid wants to make with the joint list."
Whiten the common.
MK Itamar Ben Gabir, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Is Sillman worthy of armor? She was part of the same government that you attack so much.
"Unlike Shaked, Silman knew in real time to do an act that changed the direction of the movement, and I think that in this act she proved her commitment to the national camp."
What role do you want?
"If there's anything I learned from Bennett about the path of negation, it's that it's dangerous to strive for office. You have to strive to promote policy. As an amateur marathon runner, I learned not to run fast in the first stages, slowly we'll get fast. I've proven in the last year that the last thing that matters to me is the job. In Likud Sh'Rion, this is a sharp event "Once and I intend to run in the next primaries."
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