Representatives of the United Torah Judaism party who were set to recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be tasked with forming the next government were also expected to demand President Reuven Rivlin convince New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar to join the Netanyahu-led bloc to establish a stable, right-wing government. While at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, members of the Haredi party were set to argue that both the Right and the Haredim had voted to appoint Rivlin president and that he must now act in the interests of those who put him there.
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Among the United Torah Judaism members set to meet with Rivlin were party leader Moshe Gafni and party members Yaakov Litzman, Uri Maklev, and Meir Porush.
According to Maklev, "Just like the president acted for national unity, now he must act for a unified right-wing government."
He told Israel Hayom, "Rivlin is committed to those who voted for him to be president. He was not elected by votes from the Left."
The United Torah Judaism member's remarks came in response to a statement earlier Sunday, in which Sa'ar emphasized his party would not join or support a Netanyahu-led government.
Sa'ar said, "We will act with all of our power to establish a government of change in the State of Israel."
He said despite calls for his party to join a Netanyahu-led government to prevent a fifth round of elections, he had no intention of breaking his campaign promise.
"We will not change the things we presented to the public. Who led Israel to four election campaigns in two years - none of which saw him win a majority in the Knesset - and continues to cling" to power? "He [Netanyahu] is the one that needs to draw conclusions today, step aside, and allow Israel to move forward."
Last week, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett spoke with Shas party head Aryeh Deri to ascertain whether the Haredim would be willing to join the "anyone but Bibi" camp in a government led by himself together with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, New Hope chief Gideon Sa'ar, and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz.
According to Bennett's scenario, should the Haredim be forced to decide between entering a government with him and without Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Lieberman and dragging Israel into a fifth round of elections, they would prefer to join the Yamina leader in a coalition. In discussions with Deri last week, Bennett learned this would not be the case, even at the risk of another election.
Deri told Israel Hayom: "We spoke last week, and I told Bennett there is no other option but to establish a right-wing government. I relayed to him in the clearest manner there is no way in the world we will head into a government without Likud. Even if we make it to the last minute, and even if it leads to a fifth election, our position is unequivocal. United Torah Judaism won't join such a government, and I also explained to him why. We will not enter a coalition that doesn't immediately legislate the draft law like we agreed on. We won't enter a government that doesn't legislate a minimal state conversion law, and we also demand an override clause [that allows the Knesset to determine a law is valid even if it has been ruled unconstitutional by the court]. Can that be achieved with Yair Lapid? Absolutely not."
According to Deri, "If Bennett would have said, 'I'm in the right-wing bloc,' we could have found a solution for Gideon Sa'ar. Any time that Sa'ar thinks he has another option, he's not willing to hear it.
"We are sticking with the Right," Deri said. "Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar must understand in the clearest possible way that there is no alternative outside of a right-wing government. There is no middle. The people have spoken. There are 65 Knesset seats that want a right-wing government, and now we need to overcome all of the internal problems. We need to rule out any other alternative."
Following his consultations with party members, President Reuven Rivlin is expected to decide who to task with forming the next government, although he is not required to make an immediate decision or announcement.
Israel Hayom has learned the president may task the lawmaker with the highest chances of forming a government as early as Tuesday night.
Representatives of the President's Residence said, "As soon as there is a decision, there's no reason to delay the process of forming a government. In his consultations with every faction, the president will try to understand what government they will and won't be willing to join. In the factions' response to the president as to the question of their recommendation, they will need to clarify which other parties they intend to join up with to allow the president to consolidate a clear image of the situation."
According to the various parties public declarations, 52 lawmakers from the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionism Party were set to recommend Netanyahu be tasked with forming the next government, while 32 lawmakers from Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, Labor, and Meretz were set to recommend Yesh Atid head Lapid. Yamina, Blue and White, Ra'am, and the Joint Arab List have yet to say who they will recommend.
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