After Yamina MK Amichai Chikli publicly condemned his own party's willingness to sit with the Left, right-wing lawmakers epxressed hope this would torpedo the effort to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by creating enough resistance within the right-wing bloc.
Likud MK and minister Dudi Amsalem, who is considered a confidante of Netanyahu, praised Chikli on Twitter, saying, "A true rightwinger cannot serve as red carpet for a left-wing government. MK Avmichai Chikli – you are a big shot! These are the very values we have been brought up on."
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Among the lawmakers in Yamina that have been the target of Likud persuation efforts are MK Ayelet Shaked, who is among the senior MKs in the party and is the de-facto deputy of party Chairman Naftali Bennett.
Although Chikli has not ruled out voting with the party if takes part in a left-wing government, it is clear that Likud hopes his actions would lead to Yamina backing out of such an arrangement or convince others in the anti-Netanyah bloc to stay on the sidelines and prevent the swearing in of a left-wig government from taking place if a confidence vote is held in the Knesset.
Meanwhile, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid met with President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday and officially asked for the mandate to form the next government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mandate expired at midnight and, with slim chances of forming a coalition, he did not seek an extension.
Rivlin is also slated to meet with Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, who also seeks to receive the mandate, despite the fact his party won only seven seats in the March 23 elections, to Lapid, 17.
Earlier Wednesday New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar informed Rivlin that he endorses Lapid for the role of the prime minister. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz followed suit.
The president now has a choice between tasking Lapid or Bennett with forming the government or handing the mandate over to parliament. If neither move proves successful, elections – Israel's fifth in two years – will be called.
The political upset does not mean that Netanyahu will immediately be forced out as prime minister. But he now faces a serious threat to his lengthy rule amid his ongoing corruption trial.
In a brief statement, Netanyahu's Likud party blamed Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett for the prime minister's failure.
"Because of Bennett's refusal to commit to a right-wing government, something that would have certainly led to the formation of a government along with other members of Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu returned the mandate to the president," the statement said.
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