Gantz faces rebellion as coalition options dwindle
Gantz, Liberman vow to 'get Israel out of the mud'
By GIL HOFFMAN, JEREMY SHARONMK Ayman Odeh, the leader of Hadash-Ta'al Party, and Benny gantz, head of the Blue and White Party.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's chances of forming a government took a hit on Monday, when Blue and White MKs Tzvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel ruled out backing a minority government backed from outside the coalition by the Joint List of Arab parties.MKs Gabi Ashkenazi and Chili Tropper also oppose a minority government but have not joined Hauser and Hendel's rebellion. Without Hendel and Hauser, Gantz's majority over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc would fall to 60-58 and make Gantz reliant on the three MKs of Balad, the most extreme Arab party in the Knesset, whose past MKs have been convicted of aiding terrorist groups. Gantz called the leaders of three of the four parties that make up the Joint List on Monday and vowed to form a government that would serve both Jews and Arab citizens and prevent a fourth election. He called Ayman Odeh of the Joint List's Hadash Party, Ahmad Tibi of the Ta'al Party and Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List, making a point of not reaching out to the more extreme Balad Party, which is led by MK Mtanes Shehadah.But after Odeh called Gantz to scold him for shunning Shehadeh, a Balad representative was invited along with the other three parties in the Arab list to meet on Tuesday with Blue and White MKs Avi Nissenkorn and Ofer Shelah. A spokesman for Gantz downplayed the meeting and said Nissenkorn and Shelah were not coalition negotiators.But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed outrage that "Benny Gantz sent emissaries to Balad to form a minority government dependent on supporters of terror, which would be dangerous to Israel."Shehadah said he was not surprised that Gantz neglected to call him and said he would remain part of the Joint List, which cannot be divided. Balad MK Heba Yazbak said the three Balad MKs oppose recommending to President Reuven Rivlin that Gantz form the next government when Rivlin's consultations with the eight Knesset factions take place on Sunday.Without Balad, Hauser and Hendel, Gantz would lose his majority and might have to accept serving in a national unity government under Netanyahu. Channel 13 reported on Monday night that Blue and White's negotiating team, Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Shlomo, spoke to Netanyahu's associates over the weekend and found that the best Blue and White could get is a rotation in the Prime Minister's Office with Netanyahu serving the first year, followed by two years of Gantz and then whoever would be Likud leader serving the final year.Hendel and Hauser strongly back a unity government, even with Netanyahu serving first, in order to deal with the coronavirus and pass a state budget, and they are trying to persuade their Blue and White colleagues. Hendel does not view Netanyahu continuing to serve as prime minister as a positive situation but believes that a unity government with some form of rotation agreement between Gantz and Netanyahu as a necessary “emergency” measure given the depths of the current political crisis.But heavy pressure is being exerted on them by the party leadership to back the formation of a minority government with the external support of the Joint List. The two right-wing MKs vehemently oppose such a government and are adamant in their refusal to allow it.Sources in Blue and White told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that it was highly unlikely that either Hauser or Hendel would change their mind on this issue.
On Monday, senior Blue and White leader MK Moshe Yaalon demanded that Hendel and Hauser either support the minority government or resign from the Knesset. Sources in Blue and White said there was also a threat to remove the two from the party list in the event there are fourth elections.Gantz however issued a statement saying “In Blue and White there can be a variety of opinions, but there is only one position and one decision - that of the chairman of the party. Not that of senior officials or associates.”A party can fire an MK from its ranks but that MK cannot be made to give up their seat in the Knesset, meaning that they can continue to serve as independents.The party leadership repeatedly said during the election campaign that it would not rely on the Joint List to form a government, which Hendel and Hauser have underlined during their conversations with the Blue and White leadership on the minority government issue. Hauser and Hendel are known for their right-wing positions and have consistently ruled out relying on the votes of the Arab parties to form a minority government. took a hit on Monday when Blue and White MKs Zvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel ruled out backing a minority government backed from outside the coalition by the Joint List, comprised of Arab parties.MKs Gabi Ashkenazi and Chili Tropper also oppose a minority government but have not joined Hauser and Hendel’s rebellion. Without Hendel and Hauser, Gantz’s majority over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc would fall to 60-58 and make Gantz reliant on the three MKs of Balad, the most extreme Arab party in the Knesset, whose past MKs have been convicted of aiding terrorist groups.Gantz called the leaders of three of the four parties that make up the Joint List on Monday and vowed to form a government that would serve both Jews and Arab citizens and prevent a fourth election. He called Ayman Odeh of the Joint List’s Hadash Party, Ahmad Tibi of the Ta’al Party and Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List, making a point of not reaching out to the more extreme Balad Party, which is led by MK Mtanes Shehadeh.But after Odeh called Gantz to scold him for shunning Shehadeh, a Balad representative was invited along with the other three parties in the Arab list to meet on Tuesday with Blue and White MKs Avi Nissenkorn and Ofer Shelah. A spokesman for Gantz downplayed the meeting and said Nissenkorn and Shelah were not coalition negotiators.But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed outrage that “Benny Gantz sent emissaries to Balad to form a minority government dependent on supporters of terror, which would be dangerous to Israel.”Shehadah said he was not surprised that Gantz neglected to call him and said he would remain part of the Joint List, which cannot be divided. Balad MK Heba Yazbak said the three Balad MKs oppose recommending to President Reuven Rivlin that Gantz form the next government when Rivlin’s consultations with the eight Knesset factions take place on Sunday.Without Balad, Hauser and Hendel, Gantz would lose his majority and might have to accept serving in a national unity government under Netanyahu. Channel 13 reported on Monday night that Blue and White’s negotiating team, Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Shlomo, spoke to Netanyahu’s associates over the weekend and found that the best Blue and White could get is a rotation in the Prime Minister’s Office with Netanyahu serving the first year, followed by two years of Gantz and then whoever would be Likud leader serving the final year.Hendel and Hauser strongly back a unity government, even with Netanyahu serving first, in order to deal with the coronavirus and pass a state budget, and they are trying to persuade their Blue and White colleagues to join them. Hendel does not view Netanyahu continuing to serve as prime minister as a positive situation but believes that a unity government with some form of rotation agreement between Gantz and Netanyahu is a necessary “emergency” measure given the depths of the current political crisis.But heavy pressure is being exerted on them by the party leadership to back the formation of a minority government with the external support of the Joint List. The two right-wing MKs vehemently oppose such a government and are adamant in their refusal to allow it.Sources in Blue and White told The Jerusalem Post on Monday it was highly unlikely that either Hauser or Hendel would change their mind on this issue.On Monday, senior Blue and White leader MK Moshe Ya’alon demanded Hendel and Hauser either support the minority government or resign from the Knesset. Sources in the party said there was also a threat to remove the two from the party's list in the event of fourth elections.Gantz however issued a statement saying “In Blue and White there can be a variety of opinions, but there is only one position and one decision – that of the chairman of the party. Not that of senior officials or associates.”A party can fire an MK from its ranks but that MK cannot be made to give up their seat in the Knesset, meaning that they can continue to serve as independents.The party leadership repeatedly said during the election campaign that it would not rely on the Joint List to form a government, which Hendel and Hauser have underlined during their conversations with the Blue and White leadership on the minority government issue. Hauser and Hendel are known for their right-wing positions and have consistently ruled out relying on the votes of the Arab parties to form a minority government.Until recently, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman also ruled out such a government. Gantz had what he termed a positive meeting with Liberman at Ramat Gan’s Kfar Hamaccabiah Hotel on Monday.“We talked about our principles and agree to cooperate in forming a government in order to remove Israel from the mud it is in and prevent a fourth election,” Gantz said after the meeting.Liberman told reporters after the meeting that “the worst option is a fourth election,” meaning that he preferred a coalition backed by the Joint List to going back to the polls. But he said he and Gantz would only make a decision about how to proceed after Rivlin tasks a candidate with forming a government, which will only happen next Monday or Tuesday.The Likud began a new campaign against Liberman in Russian on Monday. The ad calls Liberman by his Russian nickname, Ivet.“Liberman is in favor of a left-wing government with [Joint List MKs] Ahmad Tibi, Ayman Odeh and Heba Yazbak.” the ad says. “Say nyet to Ivet.”
