Video: Pollard speaks on Tuesday / Credit: Kan Reshet Bet

In the interview with Kan Reshet Bet, Pollard explained that he realized the full scale of the national failure through his own life: "I assumed my abandonment and the betrayal of me was an exceptional incident on Israel's part. But on October 7, I realized I was no exception. I realized the entire country was abandoned and betrayed. At that point, I concluded that I must do something to the best of my ability to prevent such a tragedy."

He directly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct during, particularly regarding the conflict with Iran and the air force's turning back after the attack in Beersheba due to US pressure: "Throughout the war, Netanyahu should have stood firm against Trump when it comes to Israel's security interests."

Regarding the meeting with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and the backlash he received, Pollard dismissed all claims of a secret meeting, insisting it contained no details indicating improper involvement: "There was nothing secret in the meeting." Later in the interview with Kan Reshet Bet, Pollard leveled harsh criticism at the American intelligence community: "The CIA serves as a tool of the Democratic Party. My advice is that its branch here at the American Embassy should be cleaned out, and people who reflect the president's agenda should be brought in."

Speaking about his time in American prison, Pollard made public the trauma he experienced behind bars : "I was raped in prison as revenge for my actions for Israel. I'm glad that some of the hostages are talking about it now ." He added, "It is necessary to understand the monsters we are dealing with."

Pollard, who is contemplating running in the upcoming elections, linked his political aspirations to what he witnessed as an Israeli citizen after October 7 : "I concluded that I must do something to the best of my ability to prevent such a tragedy."

The post Former spy Pollard: I was raped in prison; glad hostages talking appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Likud MK May Golan has compared political party leaders involved in efforts to establish a so-called "pro-change" government that would oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office to suicide bombers.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"What is most dangerous about public leaders is people who have nowhere to return, and [Yamina faction head] Naftali Bennett and [New Hope party chief] Gideon Sa'ar have no where to return. And although vastly different, I compare them today to suicide bombers," Golan said in an interview on the Knesset Channel Sunday. 

Asked by the presenters whether she was going too far in her comparison, Golan insisted she wasn't.

"I am comparing them in this way, although it is vastly different, because they are like terrorists who no longer believe in anything and embark on that same suicide mission. And even if they know they have a death sentence, that doesn't interest them."

The presenters voiced their displeasure with her comparison and asked Golan to take it back.

Golan, however, refused, doubling down on her remarks.

"They decided they will die with the Philistines," Golan said. "They are embarking on a suicide mission, and they don't care what happens in the end.

"They want to commit suicide and these are the people we are appointing to the head of our state, and I won't take it back. It's not just our right-wing public they're deceiving, but they're deceiving every single person who voted for them," Golan said.

The Likud lawmaker's remarks came one day after Shin Bet security agency chief Nadav Argaman called on public leaders to act to "immediately put a stop to the violent, inciting discourse on social media."

The statement by the head of the Shin Bet security agency was an unusual one. It follows a dramatic increase in the number of online death threats made against public officials involved in the efforts to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A number of Yamina officials have been assigned security detail following threats in recent days.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Likud MK compares Bennett, Sa'ar to 'suicide bombers' appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Knesset Security Chief Yosef Griff has decided to provide Yamina MKs Nir Orbach and Idit Silman with a security detail following threats against those lawmakers over Yamina's decision to join Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid's coalition.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Following Yamina head Naftali Bennett's decision to sign a coalition agreement with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, there has been increased pressure on party members to join Yamina member Amichai Chikli in voting against the establishment of a "pro-change" government.

Shin Bet Agency head Nadav Argaman on Saturday called on all public leaders to act to "immediately put a stop to the violent, inciting discourse on social media."

Last week, the Shin Bet increased security for Bennett and his No. 2, MK Ayelet Shaked. The threat assessment pertaining to their security was upgraded to Level 5 – just one level shy of the gravest possible threat.

The post Yamina MKs assigned security detail following threats appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar and Yamina party chief Naftali Bennett a tripartite rotation deal for the premiership in an effort to prevent the formation of a "pro-change government.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Senior Yamina officials said they "accept Netanyahu's offer. The ball is in Sa'ar's court. He has the power to prevent a left-wing government." The party reportedly agreed to cede Bennett's proposed role as a prime minister, agreeing instead to see the Yamina leader serve as defense minister.

Sa'ar, however, declined the offer, taking to Twitter to say: "Our position and our commitment remain the same: replacing Netanyahu's rule. We will continue to act accordingly. A warm recommendation for the coming days: Ignore the spin."

In a letter to Sa'ar and Bennett, Sunday, the heads of right-wing factions asked the New Hope and Yamina leaders to maintain the character and security of the State of Israel and prevent the establishment of a left-wing government they say will put the country at risk.

The party heads proposed a right-wing government be established in which Sa'ar serves first in a rotation agreement, for a period of 15 months, followed by Netanyahu, who would serve for two years' time. Bennett would then serve as prime minister for the remainder of the government term. Party heads said they would sign a document asking President Reuven Rivlin to afford Sa'ar the opportunity to form the next government. In addition, the parity government would be called off, and a mutually agreed upon justice minister would be appointed, they said.

Netanyahu said: "We are at a fateful time for the security, character, and future of the State of Israel. At such a fateful time, we put aside any personal considerations and take far-reaching, even unprecedented steps. That's what the heads of the right-wing factions and myself have now done. We signed a far-reaching proposal to Gideon Sa'ar and Naftali Bennett, a proposal that will prevent the establishment of a dangerous left-wing government and ensures the establishment of a strong and stable right-wing government for years to come that looks out for all Israeli citizens. All the right-wing faction heads and I invite Gideon Sa'ar and Naftali Bennett – come now, immediately, to a meeting that allows for the establishment of a right-wing government for the good of the State of Israel."

Yamina member Amichai Chikli responded to Sa'ar's refusal, tweeting: "What breakthrough vision, it's sad to see personal rivalry and your ego are overcoming any other consideration, a member of the Right you are not."

Likud MK Miki Zohar tweeted: "Sa'ar and Bennett robbed the public. We will never forget this."

In an interview with Army Radio, Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg said, "Bennett and Sa'ar are the last people who should buy into such an offer. We expected these kinds of offers to arrive at this time. We need to close our ears, shut our eyes, and go toward a 'pro-change' government."

Yamina leader Naftali Bennett is set to convene his party at 2 p.m., Sunday, to update them on any developments. Barring any last-minute changes, Bennett is set to announce he will establish a coalition government with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid.

Sources familiar with the Issue said over the weekend that Bennett was expected to hold a press conference after the meeting. Over the next two days, Lapid is expected to inform President Reuven Rivlin he has succeeded in forming a government. In the meantime, coalition agreements will be signed with Blue and White, New Hope, and Yamina.

As part of a rotation deal with Lapid, Bennett is expected to serve as the prime minister first, with Lapid serving as prime minister-designate and foreign minister. MK Ayelet Shaked will serve as interior minister. Labor leader Meirav Michaeli will serve as transportation minister and will serve on the Knesset's Judicial Selection Committee.

As part of a rotation deal with Lapid, Bennett is expected to serve as the prime minister first, with Lapid serving as prime minister-designate and foreign minister. Ayelet Shaked will serve as interior minister, and Labor's Meirav Michaeli will serve as transportation minister, while her fellow party member Omer Bar-Lev will head the public security ministry.

Blue and White party head Benny Gantz is poised to serve as defense minister, while Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman will serve as finance minister. New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar is expected to serve as justice minister. Meretz party head Nitzan Horowitz will be mad health minister, Zandberg will serve as environmental protection minister, and Meretz member Issawi Frej will serve as regional cooperation minister. Yesh Atid's Karine Elharrar will serve as communication minister.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

New Hope MK Yifat Shasha-Biton will serve as education minister, Yamina's Matan Kahana is set to head the religious affairs ministry, Blue and White MKs Pnina Tamano-Shata and Alon Schuster will continue in their respective roles of aliyah and integration minister and agriculture minister, respectively. Party member Hili Tropper will serve as culture minister.

Yamina officials, however, claim no final decision on the division of portfolios has been made.

One party official told Israel Hayom: "There's no reason to wait any longer. If Netanyahu produces a government, we're with him, but the chance of that happening is scant. We checked again and again, and [New Hope party chief] Gideon Sa'ar has no defectors. His lawmakers got all the offers in the world and refused. [Blue and White party head] Benny Gantz got all the offers in the world and refused. Last week, [Yamina's] Ayelet Shaked spoke with [Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel] Smotrich and asked him to commit to voting for a 59[-member] government if there weren't two defectors, and he refused. There's no longer any chance. It's either elections or a "pro-change" government, and we committed to not joining a "pro-change" government."

Despite the pressure on Yamina officials, no party members appear likely to break. Yamina MK Nir Orbach, an outspoken critic of the move, convened close associates of his, Saturday night, to make a decision as to whether to resign or vote in favor of joining an "anyone but Bibi" government.

Someone with a significant role to play in the establishment of an "anyone but Bibi" government is Ra'am party head Mansour Abbas, who has kept all options on the table in recent months. A senior member of the political system claimed Abbas made the decision to support a Bennett-Lapid government. The source said Abbas was under major pressure from party members due to Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip and the rioting seen across the country in recent weeks. As a result, the source said Abbas could neither support a right-wing government nor allow Ra'am to run in another election that would see his party wiped off the political map.

Nevertheless, a senior party official told Israel Hayom: "As we said from the beginning, we are waiting till the last minute, and in accordance with the state of the Israeli political map. Any side that would have succeeded in establishing a government and complying with our demands – we'll be with them. Ra'am doesn't take part in the boycott issue and doesn't rule anyone out. We remain loyal to our principles."

Angered by reports Yamina was set to join a "pro-change" government, right-wing voters showed up at Bennett's home in Raanana, Saturday night, to protest the move. A counter-protest by supporters of the "pro-change" bloc was also held outside Bennett's home.

In a video posted to Twitter, Friday, Netanyahu charged that Likud and Yamina negotiators had reached a "comprehensive" agreement to form a minority government of 59 parliamentarians out of 120, but Bennett had refused to sign it.

The unusual arrangement, Netanyahu said, was aimed at preventing the prospect of a "leftist government."

"Naftali Bennett is taking a leftward turn," Netanyahu said. "This goes against all of Yamina's stated principles and pledges, against all that is necessary to safeguard the future of our state."

President Reuven Rivlin entrusted Lapid with the mandate to form a government following Netanyahu's failure to do so in the aftermath of Israel's fourth inconclusive election in two years.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

The post Netanyahu offers Sa'ar, Bennett tripartite power-sharing deal appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A deal between Yamina and the Likud is ready to be inked, and gives Yamina leader Naftali Bennett "everything he asked for" a high-ranking Likud official told Israel Hayom on Friday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

According to the official, "There is nothing he requested and didn't receive. Now it's up for him to decide."

"There is a sense that Bennett doesn't want to sign, that he's waiting to see what happens with the other side. They set a deadline to form a government by Monday, and if they can't – they will take immediate action to dissolve the Knesset," the official added.

Other Likud officials reported that the reason Bennett was holding off on signing the deal was that he would prefer to form a unity government with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, whose mandate runs out in six days.

On Thursday, Bennett met with Lapid for the first time since Bennett announced he was pulling out of negotiations with other members of the anti-Netanyahu bloc following an outbreak of ethno-religious violence and the start of Operation Guardian of the Walls on May 10.

National Religious Party leader Bezalel Smotrich responded to news of the meeting, quoting Yamina No. 2 Ayelet Shaked, who said on Wednesday that Smotrich was "lying" when he claimed that Bennett was negotiating with Lapid.

The meeting between Bennett and Lapid followed a sit-down between Bennett and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz earlier Thursday. The meeting was reportedly spontaneous and took place on the sidelines of an event the two attended.

During Israel's operation against Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, Bennett said in closed talks that the idea of a "government of change" was off the table. However, some political insiders observed that Bennett was trying to tamp down protests against him and his party, and never had any intention of tossing out the idea of a unity government.

Political sources said that "Past experiences has shown that when Naftali keeps a low profile, he's about to do something that won't go down well with his base. Otherwise, he would already be added benefit to the Right."

Earlier Thursday, a group of demonstrators gathered outside Shaked's home in north Tel Aviv, calling for the establishment of a unity government to "stop the chaos." The demonstrators represented different political parties and included residents of the western Negev, Ashdod, and Ashkelon, communities that had borne the brunt of Hamas' rocket attacks during the 11-day operation in Gaza. One man who was protesting the idea of a unity government was arrested.

Liat Arkus, a Yamina activist from Netivot, told Israel Hayom: "At this crucial moment, we need a unity government. The situation that Netanyahu has brought us to – security, economic, and social – is not good. Both Bennett and Shaked are allowed to form an emergency government. True, it's not what we wanted or prayed for, but the alternative is a government with centrist parties that will focus on solving the acute problems the country is grappling with."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Likud: Bennett got 'everything he wanted,' deal ready to be signed appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

With the ceasefire between Jerusalem and Hamas holding, politicians in Israel refocused their efforts on untangling the political imbroglio, Sunday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

With just nine days left for Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid to form the next government,  Likud officials are working to consolidate a majority of 61-Knesset members to back a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, senior Likud officials say previous offers will no longer be on the table, and neither Yamina head Naftali Bennett, New Hope head Gideon Sa'ar, nor Blue and White party head will be offered a rotation deal.

A senior Likud official told Israel Hayom: "The ideas of Naftali Bennett being prime minister first are irrelevant. … It's not practical. The question is whether we will succeed in getting somewhere with him that will give him the status of being No. 2 in the government. I'm not sure we can get there. We're trying."

According to the official, Bennett suddenly remembered he was interested in the offer Netanyahu made him three weeks ago. That offer, which Bennett declined, included a rotation deal for one year and his pick of 18 representatives to fill the Likud party's top 40 slots.

"Netanyahu will not offer a rotation. In today's public reality, it won't work, especially after Bennett picked the other side. That's not how it works. You can't try to get [something] from the other side and then come back to us and get a de-facto six Knesset seats and get the premiership. It can't be," he said.

Nevertheless, they said: "If we close a deal with Bennett quickly, we have a good chance at forming a government, either Gideon will come over or his people will come over. They know they won't survive the election. I believe that right before they disappear, every single one will come, but none of them will come if we don't close with Bennett."

As for the possibility Israel would head to a fifth round of elections, the Likud official said, "I don't think it's headed that direction. Either Bennet will reconnect with the other side or at the last minute, to avoid elections, people will climb down from their tree and arrive at a normal arrangement."

Yet on Lapid's side, too, officials reiterated Bennett was no longer part of the "pro-change" bloc. Nevertheless, bloc members said they believed the offer for the premiership was irrelevant, but that if Bennett wanted to join as a minister, they would be open to meet.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett exchanged barbs, Sunday, as the political process in the country returned to peacetime activity following an 11-day military escalation with Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

Bennett took to Facebook to blast Netanyahu for his leadership during the recent military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying "I cannot recall another period defined by weakness, dysfunction, and national embarrassment."

He said Netanyahu "appointed mediocre people, who in turn appoint mediocre people" and that his decision-making process was dictated by personal and political considerations. "All this through the creation of a smokescreen of a cult of personality … in which anyone who dares to criticize him comes under severe attack," he said.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"Whoever drags the country into a fifth election, into more hatred and toxicity, into another year of dysfunction, and a huge waste of money - is playing into the hands of those who want to harm us," Bennett wrote.

In a statement, Netanyahu's Likud party took aim at Bennett's efforts to form a government with the "pro-change" bloc.

"There are certain politicians who speak right but act left. While they publish posts and articles that are supposedly 'right-wing'… Even after Hamas' murderous attacks, the violent riots inside Israel, and renewed talk of a Palestinian state that would be a giant Hamastan, they continue to act to establish a government that would be dependent on the Joint [Arab List] and the left-wing parties of Lapid, Meretz, and Labor."

Bennett and Netanyahu tried to reach an agreement earlier this year when President Reuven Rivlin entrusted Netanyahu with the mandate to form a government; however, the talks fell through.

In the meantime, Yesh Atid announced its negotiation team would renew talks with other parties, although not including Yamina at this time. Yesh Atid officials were set to speak to representatives of Meretz, Labor, and Yisrael Beytenu before meeting with New Hope head Gideon Sa'ar.

In addition to legislation to establish a state commission of inquiry into the Lag B'Omer stampede that killed 45 revelers on Mount Meron, Yesh Atid plans to propose term limits for the premiership as well as a prohibition on tasking a lawmaker under indictment with forming a government at a meeting of the Knesset's Arrangements Committee, Monday.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

The post Amid coalition talks, Likud says rotation off the table appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Refusing to believe Yamina head Naftali Bennett's announcement the establishment of a "pro-change" government was off the table, Likud officials have continued to accuse Bennett and New Hope party head Gideon Sa'ar of working to establish a government that relies on the support of the Joint Arab List.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

A senior Likud official told Israel Hayom: "Sa'ar and Bennett talk like they're on the Right but are moving to the Left. They are holding talks about it and are thinking about how to establish such a government. This is an option that has been reopened, and let there be no doubt: This is a government that relies on the Joint Arab List.

"How dare they talk about a government that relies on the Joint Arab List after what happened in [the] Gaza [Strip]? They're going to go with the Joint Arab List after the rioting by Arab Israelis? They're going to go with the Joint Arab List after Biden talks about the establishment of a Palestinian state? Giving Judea and Samaria to Hamas - that's the 'change' government.

"Bennett's announcement was fake. They're holding talks to establish a 'change' government. The entire Left has enlisted in how to prevent a right-wing government," the official said.

Responding to the accusations, a Yamina party official insisted: "The 'change' government is off the table."

Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich, formerly of the Yamina faction has launched a campaign aimed at pressuring Sa'ar to join a right-wing government. According to a RZP official, the campaign called on "Sa'ar and his partners in New Hope to join a right-wing government of the nationalist camp and abandon the attempt to form an alliance with the Left."

The official said: "The campaign is continuing the success of the moves by the Religious Zionist Party that prevented Yamina Chairman Naftali Bennett and the members of his faction from establishing a leftist government with supporters of terrorism."

In a series of statements and videos published over the weekend, the RZP asked: "What do you have to do with the Left? A right-wing government is the order of the hour."

According to Smotrich, "Events in recent weeks once again revealed the ethical and practical rifts between the Right and the Left in the State of Israel on a variety of critical issues and the immediate need to establish a right-wing government comprised of all the parties in the nationalist camp. Members of New Hope are people of the Right, and they must understand that there's nothing for them on the Left and join a right-wing government. I hope and believe this will be the case. Gideon, come home."

Last week, Smotrich claimed his mediation efforts had increased the possibility Sa'ar would consider the possibility of joining the government."

Sa'ar denied the claims.

Meanwhile, at a rally at Tel Aviv's Habima Square, Saturday, Meretz party chairwoman Tamar Zandberg called on Bennett, Sa'ar, and Blue and White party head Benny Gantz "not to let the message of the last few days be one of fear of Arabs and the embrace of [radical Otzma Yehudit party head Itamar] Ben-Gvir. A different government must be established."

She said, "Recent days have shown us what life in this country could look like – a nightmare. We don't want to turn the hourglass upside down and wait for the next war, but rather change the direction to one of peace. Living together in genuine partnership and not in hatred and fear. It's no coincidence this violence broke out precisely when we felt Jews and Arabs could cooperate in politics, as well, because there were those who wanted to destroy this vision.

"But to them, we say: Enough! Now, too, we can and should establish a different government that doesn't incite and differentiate between Jews and Arabs but replaces the toxic atmosphere. From here, I call on Bennett, Sa'ar, and Gantz: Don't let the message of the recent days be one of turning our backs on Jewish-Arab partnership and promoting racism and Kahanism, fearing Arabs, and embracing Ben-Gvir. That would be our loss. Victory will be a government that marks the way to a life together," Zandberg concluded.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Likud officials warn 'change' government' still on the table appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Likud party has no plans to sit idly by as negotiations between Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid and Yamina party chief Naftali Bennett continue apace. Party members are working to thwart the so-called "change" bloc from establishing a coalition government. Israel Hayom has learned that over the past week, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Ra'am party head Mansour Abbas for three hours in an attempt to convince him to oppose the government in the works.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The source walked away from the talks with the impression Abbas was inclined to side with the Right. Likud officials also hope Joint Arab List members will be uncomfortable supporting a Bennett-led government, and as a result, will abstain from voting in favor of such a coalition, torpedoing the move.

In addition to pressure from Likud, the other side was also set to hold talks with Abbas on Sunday and Monday in an attempt to secure his support for a government they form. Despite his ties with Likud, Abbas has proven he is not in anyone's pocket when he voted against the party at the Knesset's influential Arrangements Committee.

Bennett and Lapid were set to continue coalition talks, Sunday. Talks among other members of the change bloc were held all day, Friday. Discussions focused on the allocation of ministry portfolios and issues pertaining to the formation of a parity government, among others.

In a post to Facebook following Friday's talks, Bennett wrote: "I want to emphasize two things: Firstly, this wasn't my first choice. I went with Netanyahu with all my might from the moment he received the mandate … Netanyahu failed. He didn't convince [Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel] Smotrich to join, and the rest is history. We have two options before us, fifth elections – or an attempt to establish a broad government. Secondly, I emphasize this is an attempt.

"The atmosphere may be positive, but the differences are not simple to bridge. I think it goes without saying that I am willing to go far and pay a personal political price with my 'base' just so that a government can be established. Its organizing principle will be simple – goodwill and the understanding that not all of the issues disputed by the Right and Left for 70 years must be solved now. We can agree to disagree. But – there are core principles that I am not willing to yield on and red lines I will not cross."

Bennett emphasized that "these are difficult days, I don't know whether I will succeed, but I can promise that I will try with all my might to correct [the situation]."

Meanwhile, in an interview with Channel 13's Ayala Hasson, Yamina member Amichai Shikli, who has voiced opposition to forming a government with the Left, said that he and Bennett were in disagreement over the direction of the party.

"I know it's disrespectful for a backbench MK to stand up on his hind legs, but our commitment is to the voters. I felt like I would be lying to myself if I were to go for this move.

"We are a party that is aimed at challenging the Likud from the Right. Joining up with ideological opponents? That is a twisted move. I oppose it. I am not resigning from politics. Bennett's expectation is that I will resign. I told him I won't resign. This is a totally crooked government, and it has no justification. Fifth elections would be better than a government with Meretz and Labor," he said.

On Saturday, dozens of protesters demonstrated outside of senior Yamina official Ayelet Shaked's office.

Among those shouting cries of "You promised not to support a left-wing government were Yamina's Binyamin branch chairman Chaim Bar Geva as well as representatives of the Bereaved Families Forum.

Protesters called on Shaked to announce she would not join a Bennett-led left-wing government, with some accusing Yamina of fraud for what they said amounted to stealing their votes for the Left.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Likud hoping Mansour Abbas will thwart establishment of Bennett-Lapid gov't appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Upon receiving the mandate to form the next government from President Reuven Rivlin to form the next government, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, along with Yamina head Naftali Bennett, said they were working hard to cobble together a coalition, something they will be hard-pressed to do if they intend to stick to their campaign promises.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

When it comes to forming a government, one of Bennett's most problematic promises was to not join a government with Lapid.

In an interview with Channel 20 on March 21, he said, "I will not allow Lapid to become prime minister." He even went so far as to commit to not joining a rotation deal with Lapid in writing. He would later reiterate this commitment in an interview with Channel 12 News.

In an April 24 interview with Israel Radio, Bennet said Lapid "is the Left. We have no problem with him being part of the government as long as he doesn't head it. Netanyahu can only be replaced with the Right."

Bennett's fellow party member Ayelet Shaked spoke in a similar vein, saying they must "not cooperate with a party that supported terrorists. Meretz is less Zionist and nationalist. It is now radical."

Yamina MK Matan Kahana had also said that "if the High Court of Justice approves [controversial Labor party member] Ibtisam Mara'ana, we cannot cooperate with the Labor party."

Yamina sharpened its tone after the High Court of Justice rescinded its decision to ban Mara'ana from running in the most recent elections, calling the move a "disgrace."

"The High Court of Justice is qualifying those who negate Israel as a Jewish state, disparages the memory of the Holocaust, and disparages heroic IDF soldiers," the party said.

Interestingly, in an interview with Channel 12 News in February, Bennett said, "With 10 Knesset seats, you can't demand a rotation …. With 15 Knesset seats, you can go and genuinely change the leadership. I won't be prime minister with 10 Knesset seats. That's not democratic."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Yamina proves campaign talk is cheap appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

With just two days to the Likud's mandate to form a coalition government and the political system no closer to a decision, the assessment is that Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and his fellow party member Ayelet Shaked have decided against joining a government with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, New Hope's Gideon Saar, and the left-wing parties.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The trouble is that Bennett's decision to join forces with Netanyahu won't get the parties any closer to establishing a right-wing government due to Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich's continued opposition to a government that relies on the outside support of the Islamist Ra'am party and Sa'ar's refusal to join a government that sees Netanyahu serve as the second prime minister in a rotation deal.

Sources in the right-wing bloc told Israel Hayom: "Bennett is trying to stick with us because it is very difficult to establish a government from the other side. Everyone understands there's a problem, the gaps are big."

According to the source, Gantz wants the Defense and Justice Ministry portfolios, while Sa'ar is interested in the Justice and Education Ministry portfolios. Shaked, on the other hand, wants to head the Justice Ministry, and Labor head Meirav Michaeli wants the Education Ministry.

These demands "don't converge, and that's without taking into account baselines," the source said.

"Everything is complicated and problematic there, and that's why Bennett is telling himself that if he has a chance of receiving the premiership anyway, it would be best to do it from the right-wing bloc. And even if he doesn't succeed in establishing a government with the right-wing bloc and left-wing bloc, he would be better of [making it to another round of] elections without the stain of someone who tried to go with the Left."

Sources who spoke to Bennett in recent days claimed that "if he wanted to, and he had enough determination, he would have established a government for change in two days. He is still fighting to establish a right-wing government."

The only way a right-wing government can be formed is if another round of either general or direct elections is held or two lawmakers will be willing to defect so that the Right has the 61-member majority necessary to form a coalition.

Sources in the so-called "change" bloc on Sunday said Bennett and Shaked "decided to collapse the change bloc. They say the two are working on forming a government with Netanyahu and not Lapid.

For their part, Yamina officials said they were adhering to their initial plan of trying to establish a right-wing government, and should those efforts fail, doing everything to avoid dragging the country to another round of elections.

They said that after Netanyahu changed his stance and, according to sources close to Gantz, was willing to offer him the first two years in a rotation agreement, the prime minister would now agree to a rotation deal that sees him make way for another lawmaker for a period of one to two years. While party officials continue to press Sa'ar to join such a right-wing government, the New Hope leader remains adamantly opposed to such a move.

Nevertheless, sources in the political system caution against taking these last-minute statements too seriously. They say the demands and threats from figures such as Bennett are aimed at raising the stakes and pressuring Lapid to agree to Bennett being tasked with forming the next government. Sources close to Lapid say the Yesh Atid leader is concerned that if Bennett receives the mandate, he will form a government with Likud, the Religious Zionist Party, Shas, and United Torah Judaism.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Bennett 'still fighting' to establish right-wing government appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.