Netanyahu offers Sa'ar, Bennett tripartite power-sharing deal - www.israelhayom.com
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Netanyahu offers Sa'ar, Bennett tripartite power-sharing
deal
Yamina said to agree to PM's offer in theory. Party members
say "ball is now in Gideon Sa'ar's court." Move comes as Yamina had
been poised to announce it would form government with Yair Lapid.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar and Yamina party chief Naftali Bennett a tripartite rotation deal for the premiership in an effort to prevent the formation of a "pro-change government.
Senior Yamina officials said they "accept Netanyahu's offer. The ball is in Sa'ar's court. He has the power to prevent a left-wing government." The party reportedly agreed to cede Bennett's proposed role as a prime minister, agreeing instead to see the Yamina leader serve as defense minister.
Sa'ar, however, declined the offer, taking to Twitter to say: "Our position and our commitment remain the same: replacing Netanyahu's rule. We will continue to act accordingly. A warm recommendation for the coming days: Ignore the spin."
In a letter to Sa'ar and Bennett, Sunday, the heads of right-wing factions asked the New Hope and Yamina leaders to maintain the character and security of the State of Israel and prevent the establishment of a left-wing government they say will put the country at risk.
The party heads proposed a right-wing government be established in which Sa'ar serves first in a rotation agreement, for a period of 15 months, followed by Netanyahu, who would serve for two years' time. Bennett would then serve as prime minister for the remainder of the government term. Party heads said they would sign a document asking President Reuven Rivlin to afford Sa'ar the opportunity to form the next government. In addition, the parity government would be called off, and a mutually agreed upon justice minister would be appointed, they said.
Netanyahu said: "We are at a fateful time for the security, character, and future of the State of Israel. At such a fateful time, we put aside any personal considerations and take far-reaching, even unprecedented steps. That's what the heads of the right-wing factions and myself have now done. We signed a far-reaching proposal to Gideon Sa'ar and Naftali Bennett, a proposal that will prevent the establishment of a dangerous left-wing government and ensures the establishment of a strong and stable right-wing government for years to come that looks out for all Israeli citizens. All the right-wing faction heads and I invite Gideon Sa'ar and Naftali Bennett – come now, immediately, to a meeting that allows for the establishment of a right-wing government for the good of the State of Israel."
Yamina member Amichai Chikli responded to Sa'ar's refusal, tweeting: "What breakthrough vision, it's sad to see personal rivalry and your ego are overcoming any other consideration, a member of the Right you are not."
Likud MK Miki Zohar tweeted: "Sa'ar and Bennett robbed the public. We will never forget this."
In an interview with Army Radio, Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg said, "Bennett and Sa'ar are the last people who should buy into such an offer. We expected these kinds of offers to arrive at this time. We need to close our ears, shut our eyes, and go toward a 'pro-change' government."
Yamina leader Naftali Bennett is set to convene his party at 2 p.m., Sunday, to update them on any developments. Barring any last-minute changes, Bennett is set to announce he will establish a coalition government with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid.
Sources familiar with the Issue said over the weekend that Bennett was expected to hold a press conference after the meeting. Over the next two days, Lapid is expected to inform President Reuven Rivlin he has succeeded in forming a government. In the meantime, coalition agreements will be signed with Blue and White, New Hope, and Yamina.
As part of a rotation deal with Lapid, Bennett is expected to serve as the prime minister first, with Lapid serving as prime minister-designate and foreign minister. MK Ayelet Shaked will serve as interior minister. Labor leader Meirav Michaeli will serve as transportation minister and will serve on the Knesset's Judicial Selection Committee.
As part of a rotation deal with Lapid, Bennett is expected to serve as the prime minister first, with Lapid serving as prime minister-designate and foreign minister. Ayelet Shaked will serve as interior minister, and Labor's Meirav Michaeli will serve as transportation minister, while her fellow party member Omer Bar-Lev will head the public security ministry.
Yamina MK Ayelet Shaked (Oren Ben Hakoon/File)
Blue and White party head Benny Gantz is poised to serve as defense minister, while Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman will serve as finance minister. New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar is expected to serve as justice minister. Meretz party head Nitzan Horowitz will be mad health minister, Zandberg will serve as environmental protection minister, and Meretz member Issawi Frej will serve as regional cooperation minister. Yesh Atid's Karine Elharrar will serve as communication minister.
New Hope MK Yifat Shasha-Biton will serve as education minister, Yamina's Matan Kahana is set to head the religious affairs ministry, Blue and White MKs Pnina Tamano-Shata and Alon Schuster will continue in their respective roles of aliyah and integration minister and agriculture minister, respectively. Party member Hili Tropper will serve as culture minister.
Yamina officials, however, claim no final decision on the division of portfolios has been made.
One party official told Israel Hayom: "There's no reason to wait any longer. If Netanyahu produces a government, we're with him, but the chance of that happening is scant. We checked again and again, and [New Hope party chief] Gideon Sa'ar has no defectors. His lawmakers got all the offers in the world and refused. [Blue and White party head] Benny Gantz got all the offers in the world and refused. Last week, [Yamina's] Ayelet Shaked spoke with [Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel] Smotrich and asked him to commit to voting for a 59[-member] government if there weren't two defectors, and he refused. There's no longer any chance. It's either elections or a "pro-change" government, and we committed to not joining a "pro-change" government."
Despite the pressure on Yamina officials, no party members appear likely to break. Yamina MK Nir Orbach, an outspoken critic of the move, convened close associates of his, Saturday night, to make a decision as to whether to resign or vote in favor of joining an "anyone but Bibi" government.
Someone with a significant role to play in the establishment of an "anyone but Bibi" government is Ra'am party head Mansour Abbas, who has kept all options on the table in recent months. A senior member of the political system claimed Abbas made the decision to support a Bennett-Lapid government. The source said Abbas was under major pressure from party members due to Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip and the rioting seen across the country in recent weeks. As a result, the source said Abbas could neither support a right-wing government nor allow Ra'am to run in another election that would see his party wiped off the political map.
Nevertheless, a senior party official told Israel Hayom: "As we said from the beginning, we are waiting till the last minute, and in accordance with the state of the Israeli political map. Any side that would have succeeded in establishing a government and complying with our demands – we'll be with them. Ra'am doesn't take part in the boycott issue and doesn't rule anyone out. We remain loyal to our principles."
Angered by reports Yamina was set to join a "pro-change" government, right-wing voters showed up at Bennett's home in Raanana, Saturday night, to protest the move. A counter-protest by supporters of the "pro-change" bloc was also held outside Bennett's home.
In a video posted to Twitter, Friday, Netanyahu charged that Likud and Yamina negotiators had reached a "comprehensive" agreement to form a minority government of 59 parliamentarians out of 120, but Bennett had refused to sign it.
The unusual arrangement, Netanyahu said, was aimed at preventing the prospect of a "leftist government."
"Naftali Bennett is taking a leftward turn," Netanyahu said. "This goes against all of Yamina's stated principles and pledges, against all that is necessary to safeguard the future of our state."
President Reuven Rivlin entrusted Lapid with the mandate to form a government following Netanyahu's failure to do so in the aftermath of Israel's fourth inconclusive election in two years.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
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