The plan calls for both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to make compromises in order to enable a national unity government
By GIL HOFFMANHeads of the Blue and White party, Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid. Avigdor Liberman, Head of rightist Yisrael Beiteinu party. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekly cabinet meeting, December 2, 2018(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman released his coalition bridging proposal for Likud and Blue and White late Wednesday night.The plan calls for both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to make compromises in order to enable a national unity government.According to the plan, Gantz will have to accept Netanyahu becoming prime minister first, following a framework suggested two weeks ago by President Reuven Rivlin. Gantz would become prime minister when Netanyahu is unable to serve, following his expected criminal indictment.Netanyahu will have to give up his bloc of 55 MKs from right-wing and religious parties and instead form a coalition of 68 MKs with only Blue and White and Yisrael Beytenu.Liberman called for the three parties to meet to set guidelines and policies for the coalition.Blue and White praised that aspect of the plan and said that when Gantz receives the mandate to form a government from Rivlin, work would begin immediately on drafting the guidelines. Blue and White expressed hope that Liberman's announcement would be a "wake-up call" for Likud.The Likud released a statement calling Liberman's plan irrelevant and saying that he needed to rule out a left-wing coalition led by Gantz.
