Netanyahu: Naftali Bennett as Israeli Prime Minister is “absurd”

Netanyahu and Bennett held a tense meeting on Monday, their fifth since Netanyahu was given the mandate to form a government by President Reuven Rivlin two weeks ago.

“His feeling is that he has reached an agreement there,” a MK UTJ told The Jerusalem Post after meeting with Netanyahu.

“The moment of truth for Bennett has come,” Netanyahu said. “He promised not to stay under [Yesh Atid leader Yair] Lapid, with Meretz and Labor and with the support of the Joint List. So they have to stop galloping towards a left-wing government. “

In the closed-door portion of the faction meeting, Netanyahu said what his opponents call a unity government would only bring more government paralysis, break Bennett’s promises and be “very bad for Israel.”

The prime minister challenged Bennett to support direct elections to the prime minister and Likud’s proposal to lead the Knesset until a government is formed, saying

direct elections for prime minister are the solution to the political crisis.

King Mansour Abbas said on Monday that he did not rule out allowing a Bennett-led government, just as a Netanyahu-led government would allow.

Speaking with the Israeli emblem behind him, Abbas said it was wrong to call his party Ra’am (United Arab List) supporters of terror, as has the head of the Zionist Religious Party Bezalel Smotrich. Abbas said his party was undecided on the direct elections for the prime minister’s bill.

Smotrich called on Bennett to decide whether he would be on the right or the left. He said he did not believe Bennett really supported a government based on Abbas’s Ra’am Party, which he said identified him with Israel’s enemies.

“As soon as it is clear where everyone is, I am sure that a right-wing government of the entire nationalist bloc can be formed,” Smotrich said.

New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar told his faction on Monday that he would not allow Netanyahu to form a government or launch a new Knesset race or direct election for prime minister.

Sa’ar spoke for the first time since Netanyahu called him to “come home to Likud” in a speech in Ramat Gan on Friday.

“Our views have not changed,” Sa’ar said. “There are two alternatives: a right-wing government led by someone else or a unity government that allows New Hope to maintain its worldview. Both options are better than the new elections, either for the Knesset or just for the prime minister.” .

Sa’ar quoted Netanyahu as saying when he was the leader of the opposition that “an electoral system is not a pair of socks that can be changed every day.”

Lapid took a look at the draft direct election bill, which was introduced Monday by Saxon lawmakers Michael Malkieli and Moshe Arbel, calling it “the fifth election that would further paralyze the country and continue to focus on Netanyahu.” . He said the only reason Netanyahu proposed the idea was that he could not form a government and that a unity government without Netanyahu would be formed in three weeks.

In an effort to build a coalition, Lapid met on Monday with the leaders of Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, the Common List and Ra’am.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz told his blue and white faction that continued political uncertainty would be dangerous for Israel.

“If we do not unite among ourselves, we will not be strong against our enemies,” Gantz said. He ruled out direct elections for prime minister, calling it “changing the rules of the game during the game” and warned Bennett and Abbas “not to fall into [Netanyahu’s] trap.”

“Naftali, you come from the business world,” Gantz said. “Netanyahu is asking you to file for ethical, moral and political bankruptcy.”

Labor leader Merav Michaeli said the draft direct election is just a political rotation meant to distract from government inactivity and is not a serious suggestion.

Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.