New Hope Party leader Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday denied reports he is considering a rotation in the Prime Minister’s Office in which he would serve before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There was no such offer, no negotiations and no change in the party’s policy of ruling out a government with Netanyahu, a New Hope spokesman said.
Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich had raised the idea with Sa’ar, who gave a green light to contacts on the matter, Haaretz reported.
The Likud also denied the report.
“The prime minister is focusing only on security and has not had time to deal with politics,” a Likud spokesman said.
Labor leader Merav Michaeli on Tuesday called on Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid to form a coalition that includes both Arab parties.
Even without Yamina, a coalition of 61 MKs could be formed while Lapid has a mandate to form a government that would unseat Netanyahu, she told Labor’s faction meeting in the Knesset.
A coalition with the Joint List should not be ruled out, Michaeli said.
“We remain committed to replacing Netanyahu,” she said. “There remain options for governments that would include MKs from New Hope to Ra’am. The public is tired and deserves a functioning government.”
Michaeli said she did not believe Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s denials of reports that he is negotiating to form a government with Netanyahu.
“I want to believe him, but he is still cooperating with Netanyahu in the government now,” she said.