Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Monday on the recent controversy surrounding Yamina MK Idit Silman's claim that she was physically assaulted recently over her political views, suggesting that she may have been untruthful as means of slandering the Right.

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At a Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu called on Silman to substantiate her account of the incident "or apologize to the 2 million Israeli citizens from the national camp [Likud and its right-wing allies] she slandered."

Yamina MK and Coalition Chairwoman Idit Silman said that the attack on her took place after she stopped at a gas station to refill her car. After she had already left the station, she pulled over to go over work-related material, at which point the alleged perpetrator pushed her violently against the car.

Over the weekend, she repeated the claim, saying the man who supposedly attacked her at the gas station in Modi'in did so over her party's unseating of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the forming of a Left-Right coalition. She even went so far as to say that the perpetrator "slammed me against my car."

Late Saturday and early Sunday, members of the opposition and a growing number of people online asked her to elaborate on it but she could not come up with any specific details. Many also considered it odd that she did not report this alleged incident to the Knesset Guard, which is tasked with the protection of Israeli lawmakers. They also noted that every gas station in Modi'in has security cameras that should have footage of any unlawful activity.

Responding to the criticism, Silman published a lengthy Facebook post saying that "I am not under investigation; those who are constantly inciting against me are." She further said that "all those on Twitter who were quick to attack me have shown their own true colors."

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Across the political system, it is widely assumed that the passing of a state budget is the principal test of government stability.

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Nevertheless, two senior Yamina party officials believe it will be more difficult to maintain coalition coherence once a budget is passed.

Following an Israel Hayom report Washington plans to hold off on discussing sensitive issues like the Palestinians until after a state budget is passed, a Yamina official said some of the demands the White House is expected to make could lead to the government's dissolution. He noted White House plans to reopen a de facto embassy to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, in what would offer de facto recognition of Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state, in particular, as a development that could spark sharp reactions from right-wing members of the coalition, leading to the government's demise.

Another senior official from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's party spoke in a similar vein, noting the state budget was one of the main reasons the parties in the coalition, with their opposing worldviews, agreed to come together in the first place.

The Yamina official said that as soon as the budget was approved, disagreements would rise to the surface, making it harder to overcome internal tensions.

On Sunday, the government was set to approve the appointment of Yisrael Beytenu MK Eli Avidar to the role of minister without portfolio and Meretz MK Yair Golan to the deputy finance minister. Both Avidar and Golan were vocal critics of the previous government for its wastefulness.

Coalition sources explained Avidar's appointment to minister without portfolio as part of the political process leading up to passing the state budget.

"It's true that someone who uses pressure and threats should get slapped and not appointed, but unlike [Yamina AMK Amichai] Chikli, Eli Avidor is fine. As a rule, we prefer a loyal soldier from Yisrael Beytenu to someone who causes problems," the source said.

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Right-wing Knesset members Orit Strock and Avi Dichter plan to submit a draft bill to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation Sunday to revoke convicted terrorists who receive monthly stipends from the Palestinian Authority of their Israeli citizenship.

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In the abstract of the bill, the Religious Zionist Party and Yamina MKs explain that "many [terrorists] who hold Israeli citizenship or are permanent residents receive monthly salaries from the PA as a reward for committing acts of terrorism.

"For example, the terrorists who killed [IDF] soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980 receive a monthly salary of 12,000 shekels [$3,700] from the PA. According to calculations by the Palestinian Media Watch, by the end of October 2020, the PA had paid the murderers more than NIS 3 million [$914,000] altogether."

Strock and Dichter added, "It is inconceivable that Israeli citizens and [permanent] residents who not only betrayed the state and Israeli society, but also agreed to receive payments from the PA as a reward for committing acts of terrorism ... should continue to hold Israeli citizenship."

The Choose Life Forum, which works with bereaved families and victims of terrorism, sent a letter to committee members, asking them to back the legislative proposal.

"The law is intended to solve a difficult problem that exists today," the letter said, for "the authority to denaturalize terrorists is only given to the Interior Minister ... and in practice, this authority cannot be exercised."

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Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin (Likud) called on Yamina and Yesh Atid on Friday to reveal their coalition agreements and accompanying arrangements to the Knesset and public, which they have yet to do after informing President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday night that a coalition had been reached.

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"A situation in which coalition agreements are withheld from Knesset members and the public is unacceptable," Levin said. "The understandings must be submitted to the Knesset Secretariat immediately upon their signing to allow for public debate and to inform the members of the Knesset about the kind of government they are required to vote on."

According to Levin, the failure to reveal the documents raises concerns that the information is being withheld deliberately.

Yesh Atid and Yamina said in a statement: "The coalition agreements and the basic structure of the government will, of course, be made available to the public in a transparent and clear way after they are signed. We call on Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin to inform the Knesset as soon as possible that Knesset members [Yair] Lapid and [Naftali] Bennett have formed a government and convene a plenum immediately to swear in this government. The State of Israel needs a functioning unity government that will rescue us from the chaos."

Earlier Friday, Yamina members gathered at Bennett's home in Ra'anana in central Israel to discuss the new coalition and the steps needed to finalize the so-called "pro-change government." The meeting was also attended by wavering Knesset member Nir Orbach and political activist Shirley Pinto.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Yamina leader's home, calling on him to withdraw from what they called the left-wing coalition.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called an emergency meeting of right-wing leaders to discuss ways in which the bloc can prevent the government formed by the Center-Left bloc from being sworn in.

According to Channel 12 News, Yesh Atid has also presented a motion to immediately replace Levin with MK Mickey Levy, as it was believed Levin would use his power to delay the vote in an effort to further delay Netanyahu's ouster.

On Thursday morning, Netanyahu summoned Levin, Coalition whip MK Miki Zohar, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, United Torah Judaism leaders Moshe Gafni and Yakov Litzman, and the heads of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Jewish localities in Judea and Samaria,to the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem to discuss their options.

Netanyahu said on Twitter that "all legislators elected by votes from the Right must oppose this dangerous left-wing government."

Yamina lawmakers, meanwhile, have come "under tremendous pressure" to back out of the new coalition.

"It's everywhere. Social media, phone calls, protests outside homes – to the point of crossing some red lines. Some MKs feel their children are being threatened. The prime minister is definitely stirring the pot but not just him. They [political rivals] are spearing no effort to undermine us," said Yamina MK Matan Kahana.

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As of Sunday night, Israel was heading toward a so-called "change government," in what is the culmination of one of the largest political con jobs in Israeli history, thanks to you, Yamina.

As an ordinary citizen with right-wing and traditional views, I have considered Yamina a party with real leadership potential on Israel's Right, a party that has stuck to its ideological guns on security, settlement, sovereignty, and the judiciary. But I was apparently so wrong in ignoring the alarmism of right-wing activists during the most recent election. I could not even entertain the thought that you, Yamina, would defect from the Right in such an opportunistic and cynical manner while reneging on its clear pledge from the campaign. This is an unprecedented disregard of 300,000 voters and wholesale disavowal of the ideology that brought you to Israeli politics in the first place.

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Your anti-democratic move essentially does away with the main role the largest party should have in a coalition. Why would your party, which comprises 5% of the Knesset, get to appoint a prime minister? Your move gives a hand to a questionable political adventure by some small parties that is driven solely by ulterior and personal motives.

Why are those considerations presented as doing what's good for the country? Since when is a personal vendetta against a party leader part of a legitimate tenet of an ideological political platform and a basis for a coalition deal? Moreover, establishing a patchwork coalition like the "change government" will be used as a dangerous precedent and legitimacy for future moves along those lines. Your move, in case you have not realized by now, will kill any prospect of a stable right-wing government that would genuinely reflect the will of the voters and allow the pursuit of a political agenda that is cohesive and consistent with our camp. Moreover, your move might critically impeach the credibility of the Right's ability to lead, just when it appears to have recovered from the damage done by the removal of settlements in Gaza in 2005 under the Right.

Your bizarre claim that you keep repeating on how we should do everything to avoid another early election raises many questions. Just days ago, during the fighting in Gaza you said that such a coalition was longer on the table. So what changed? Or maybe this claim is just your way of saying that you are afraid of being wiped out in another march to the polls because voters won't forgive you over your latest moves?

Despite the bad blood between the various parties on the Right, it is still not too late to do the right thing and form a large right-wing coalition. I demand that you make a u-turn from this erroneous move and try to leverage your weight on parties that share the same agenda so that we exhaust all options in forming a government through constructive and generous negotiations. This is the order of the day in light of the rare political constellation that has emerged from the latest election. It would be a terrible thing if this week, as we mark 25 years since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first rose to power, you will form a "change government" with the anti-Netanyahu bloc whose only goal is to satisfy an anti-democratic vendetta at the country's expense.

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Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, one of the most prominent figures of the religious Zionist movement, threatened Sunday to sever ties with Yamina politicians Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked if the two go ahead with forming a coalition with the Left.

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In a Facebook post, he explained that the left-wing political parties threaten to undermine Judaism and settlements, and siding with them would constitute a betrayal.

He reminded that the movement forgave Bennett and Shaked once before, when the two took advantage of the Habayit Hayehudi political party and split from it right before an election, but warned that the two would not be forgiven if they were to betray the movement again.

"Remember that when this government fails, you will have nowhere to go back. We promise. Whoever fooled us and betrayed us has lost our trust forever, " he wrote.

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Yamina members are split about what to do if the party winds up in a position to complete a coalition for Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who currently holds the mandate to form a government.

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While Yamina members close to party chairman Naftali Bennett are still saying that Bennett has not gone back on his decision during Operation Guardian of the Walls to drop the option of joining a unity government with other anti-Netanyahu factions, other party officials have been hinting in the past few days that the door to a Lapid government is still open.

Bennett's staff say that since his announcement that he had stopped negotiations with Lapid, the two have not been in contact, nor have their staffers. Bennett's staff say he is determined not to form a government with left-wing parties, or with any Arb party.

Still, other senior members of Yamina are sending different signals. These officials say that while they would certainly prefer a right-wing government, if Lapid fails to form a government and loses the mandate next week, the result would be a fifth election. If that appears likely, they say, negotiations between Bennett and Lapid could still re-launch at the eleventh hour.

Meanwhile, Yamina No. 2 Ayelet Shaked continues to push for a right-wing government, and is reportedly pressing New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar and various other right-wing politicians to join a government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and prevent another election. However, as of Wednesday morning, Shaked has not been successful.

The prevailing assessment is that if Bennett ultimately decides to join a unity government, Shaked will not split the party or abstain from voting.

On Monday, Yamina officials reported that they had received a message from the Likud that in the case that a right-wing government could not be formed and the Knesset would have to be dissolved yet again, Netanyahu would be willing to reserve eight places on the Likud list for Yamina members.

Likud officials said that Netanyahu would find it difficult to reserve more than four or five places on the list for Yamina members, as Likud members would resist having so many set aside for members of another list.

The Likud denied that Yamina had been offered any reserved places on the party list. Yamina did not respond to the report.

Meanwhile, in another political development, Lapid has reportedly completed negotiations with Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman to join a unity government under his leadership.

According to officials involved in the talks, Lapid and Lieberman agreed that if Lapid forms a government, Lieberman would be appointed finance minister. In addition, an MK from Yisrael Beytenu would be appointed chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, which thus far has been controlled by the Haredi factions, and Yisrael Beytenu would be assigned two more ministerial portfolios, including the Negev and Galilee Development Ministry.

"In negotiations we agreed on the fundamentals of a government," representatives of the two party leaders said, adding that Lapid and Lieberman had also agreed on a need to pass a law to launch national projects as a growth engine, to include two new hospitals to be built in the Negev and the Galilee, an airport at Nevatim, and a light rail.

Negotiations also settled on a guaranteed minimum old-age pension that would stand at 70% of the minimum wage.

Representatives of the two leaders also said that agreements had been reached about "religion and state," but did not provide details.

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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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The Likud published a statement Wednesday harshly criticizing Yamina Leader Naftali Bennett for "refusing to support the only solution to the political deadlock that does not involve destroying the Right."

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As suspicions grow that Bennett might side with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Likud accused the Yamina leader of "galloping to a left-wing government" as a result of his "uncontrollable ambition" to become prime minister. "With seven seats, he is ready to crown a left-wing government with a coalition of 50 left-wing Knesset members," the statement said.

According to Likud, Bennett is acting against the will of voters who gave the right-wing government 65 mandates, and in stark contrast to his campaign promise not to form a government with the Left.

"Bennett's paralyzed left-wing government will fall apart within a few months and lead to the dissolution of the Knesset and a fifth-round of elections. It will not be able to withstand even one day of international pressure against settlements and Israel Defense Forces soldiers and the race for dangerous agreements with Iran. It will not even be able to advance a single right-wing measure.

"Bennett refuses to support the only solution to the political deadlock that does not involve destroying the Right: a quick vote to elect a prime minister that does not involve the dissolution of the Knesset and another round of elections. The chosen prime minister will be able to form a government immediately. Most of the public supports this solution," the statement said.

It appears that Bennett opposes a direct election for a prime minister. In talks with his associates, he reportedly said that electing a prime minister without having a Knesset that supports him will not solve the crisis but will only give power to whomever is elected.

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The Likud attacked right-wing party Yamina on Sunday after one of its senior lawmakers, MK Ayelet Shaked, said the March 23 election could result in more gridlock and another early election several months later.

"Yamina leader Naftali Bennett is the only one who could replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," she said. "Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid will not be prime minister. We have great momentum and we are going to get 13 seats or more; let's not forget that it was Netanyahu who formed a government with the Left," she continued.

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In response, the Likud said, "This statement by Shaked defies the will of voters, who want a stable government that would jump-start the economy. The choice in this election could not be clearer: Only the Likud can prevent a fifth election and a rotating premiership with Lapid. Only the Likud can form a stable right-wing government that would make our economy dash forward toward the post-coronavirus era."

Yamina has been running on a promise that it would not let another early election take place, hoping this would bolster its showing in the coming vote."I won't let it happen.  We will establish a national government for change. Parties that aren't on the Right can join, I have no problem with that, as long as the premiership is mine. Anyone who is in favor of a Jewish and democratic state can take part in this nationalist government for change that will take Israel forward," the party leader Naftali Bennett told Israel Hayom recently.

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