The security situation has put a significant damper on coalition talks. While negotiation teams were not in attendance, heads of parties belonging to the so-called "change" bloc continued their coalition talks, Wednesday.
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"It all depends on [Ra'am party head] Mansour Abbas," a source with knowledge of the negotiations told Israel Hayom.
"We don't know what his status is. According to [Yamina party head Naftali] Bennett, there's no reason to continue full force until we know where he stands. According to [Yesh Atid head Yair] Lapid's side, we need to continue and wrap everything up. They're counting on the whirlwind pace of Israeli events and the fact that the day after the war, everything will go back to the way it was and it will be possible to continue," they said.
Army Radio reported that despite the security situation, New Hope party leader Gideon Sa'ar met with President Reuven Rivlin, Wednesday, to update him on developments in coalition talks. Sources close to Sa'ar confirmed the report, saying the conversation "focused on several issues concerning recent developments in the country, including security and public security issues."
Lapid also spoke with Rivlin, Wednesday. According to a close associate of the Yesh Atid head, Lapid informed the president efforts to establish a government were ongoing despite the security situation.
In a post to Twitter, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich, an outspoken critic of the move by Yamina, wrote: "It's just incredible. Not only has Bennett refused to take the establishment of a government with terrorism supporters who are rioting against the Jews of Lod, Ramle, and the Negev off the table, but at this very time, he is continuing to hold intensive talks with them on the establishment of a government. It's incredible how Bennett and [senior Yamina official Ayelet] Shaked have completely lost their minds and their values."
In a post to social media, Bennett wrote: The Likud has gone from a ruling party to a party that has failed in its management of the state and is leading it negligently from failure to disaster. Yamina will provide absolute support for every move to restore the security of the Netanyahu-Gantz government, irrespective of any political calculation."
On Twitter, Lapid wrote that we "need to take a deep breath and calm the children who have been startled by the explosions over their homes, but at the same time, we are continuing efforts to establish a unity government in Israel."
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