New Right leader Naftali Bennett called on right-wing and haredi factions to stand by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that if he was forced out of office just because of looming indictments this would inflict major damage on Israel.
"My fellow friends on the Right," Bennett wrote on Facebook. "One thing must be clear: If law-enforcement officials take down Netanyahu just because of cigars and positive press online, this will be a deadly blow to our entire ideological bloc. Any leader on the Right that would follow Netanyahu would be too scared of confronting the media and law enforcement."
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Bennett was referring to the possibility that Netanyahu would have to leave his post or hand over his official duties because of the corruption allegations he faced, which center on various gifts and benefits he allegedly received while prime minister.
Talks with Blue and White over a power-sharing deal that would allow a new government to be sworn in have stalled because the left-wing party has insisted that Netanyahu step down until he could be acquitted in court.
Bennett added that "Netanyahu may not be perfect, but he has been a very good prime minister for Israel and its security and has been persecuted and demonized from day one by the leftists in the media and academia."
According to Bennett, "because Netanyahu is now at his most difficult moment, I have decided to help as much as I can."
The Sept. 17 election ended with a hung parliament, with neither Likud or Blue and White getting enough seats to form a government with its ideological allies.
The only realistic option is to form a unity government under some kind of power-sharing arrangement, but so far negotiations have stalled because Blue and White has been unwilling to have Netanyahu serve as prime minister for the next two years, citing his potential indictment in the three corruption cases.
Netanyahu was tapped by President Reuven Rivlin to form a government and he has until Wednesday to do so. But Netanyahu is unlikely to be able to swear in a government and win a confidence vote on time, meaning that Rivlin will likely tap Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz to do so.
If Gantz fails, and no MK garners the signatures of 61 lawmakers within 21 days, Israel would have to hold another election.
