Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's embattled government lived to fight another day on Wednesday after the Arab Israeli Ra'am party said it would remain in the coalition. The announcement followed a tempestuous Knesset session that was exacerbated by the killing of an Al-Jazeera journalist in Jenin earlier in the day that the Palestinian Authority and several coalition members blamed on the IDF.
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Speaking from the Knesset podium, Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lambasted the coalition by saying a government supported by the Muslim Brotherhood could not protect Israeli citizens and soldiers.
Netanyahu gave his "full backing" to the Israeli soldiers involved in the operation in Jenin early Wednesday morning. The IDF, along with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other Israeli officials, said it was likely that terrorists had shot journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin during the exchange of fire.
"I want to give my full backing to the IDF soldiers and their officers, both in their fight against terrorism and against the dishonest Palestinian propaganda campaign," Netanyahu said.
"I condemn the lies being spewed against our soldiers, not only by the Palestinians, but I also strongly condemn the embarrassing comments being voiced from within against our soldiers, by coalition members in the Bennett government. You should be ashamed.
"The libelous lies against our soldiers, the defamation from within the coalition government, proves once again that those who are dependent on terror supporters cannot fight against terrorism. A government dependent on the [Islamic] Shura council of the Muslim Brotherhood cannot defend our citizens and protect our soldiers," he added, referring to the Arab Israeli Ra'am party, which is a member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition.
Ra'am chairman MK Mansour Abbas, for his part, said his party had decided to give the coalition and government another chance, voting against the bill to dissolve the sitting parliament.
"It would be a grave mistake to undo everything that we have accomplished thus far," Abbas told reporters in Jerusalem. He also castigated Netanyahu for "continuing with his lies and incitement" and said Netanyahu had also negotiated with him after the previous election in an effort to form a ruling coalition.
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