Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to agree to the formation of a right-wing government within the current Knesset, to prevent early elections, Israel Hayom has learned.
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The news comes against the backdrop of the resignation of Yamina MK Nir Orbach, whose departure pushed the already-fragile coalition, which includes a collection of eight hard-right, liberal and Arab parties, closer to imploding.
Shaked is also said to be in talks with Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party over a potential joint run in the next elections.
Recent polls suggest that were elections to take place at this time New Hope would fail to cross the prerequisite four-Knesset-seat electoral threshold. A merger could shore up Yamina's thinning ranks as well as ensure New Hope's parliamentary prospects, but it would pose an obstacle to the formation of a wider right-wing government that includes the Likud, as Sa'ar has pledged that he will not sit in a government led by now-Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yamina insiders said that if the government dissolves, Bennett would prefer to trigger elections but not at all costs. Faced with the prospects of losing the premiership of the interim government he may opt to sideline New Hope and join a Netanyahu-led coalition, in which he would most likely serve as defense minister. Shaked, too, prefers this option, which is why she is promoting the matter.
It is unclear where this scenario leaves Bennett's current partners – Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, who is also the PM-designate and could technically be named PM of a caretaker government, and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. The latter was the PM-designate in Netanyahu's last government and the Likud is reportedly courting him again.
As for the Opposition, lawmakers are divided about the possibility of another election. While Netanyahu and senior Likud figures would prefer to go ahead with another vote, ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism prefer to create a right-wing government in the current Knesset.
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Likud is basing its view on highly favorable polls, although if the establishment of a right-wing government within the current Knesset is possible without too high a price, Netanyahu may agree.
The Joint Arab List is also uncertain as to which scenario it prefers. On the one hand, it seeks to topple the current government and hold another election and has already stated that it would vote for the dissolution of the current Knesset. On the other hand, it fears that in its place will rise a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu. The Joint Arab List is working to promote a law that would prevent him from running in the elections, which would enable them to vote for the dissolution of the Knesset without fear of Netanyahu's return to power.
The center-left bloc is also preparing for a possible election campaign as they estimate the current government is nearing its end. Their main concern is the formation of a right-wing government in the current Knesset, which would exclude the left-wing factions. As such, left-wing parties are examining the possibility of dissolving the Knesset.
According to sources, all parties are seeking to recruit Former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, although he has not yet officially announced whether he intends to join politics. Such a move is more likely if another election does take place.
"The battle over Eizenkot will determine who will lead the bloc in the next elections," one lawmaker told Israel Hayom.
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