Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc vows yet again to stay together
Netanyahu called the meeting in light of what he said was an emergency – that Blue and White may form a minority coalition with the Joint List’s votes.
By LAHAV HARKOVRight wing bloc leaders meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday (photo credit: LIKUD)
"Leaders of religious and right-wing parties finished a meeting” called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, committing themselves once again to keeping the 55-seat bloc together.The party leaders also said they would continue to work on convincing Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman to join a coalition with them.Blue and White leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid “want me to separate from the bloc,” Netanyahu said, “so that they can take parts of it.”Netanyahu called the meeting in light of what he said was an emergency – that Blue and White may form a minority coalition with the Joint List’s votes. It came after a weekend in which the prime minister and Gantz argued over social media and press releases over who is trying to bring about a third election.Also Sunday, Liberman said for him to support a minority government along with the Joint List “doesn’t make sense” in an interview with Ynet, but he did not say outright that he would not do so. Likud plans to hold an “emergency meeting” Sunday night opposing a Joint List-backed government. Netanyahu invited leaders of other right-wing parties, but they refused to attend. The meeting could be a kickoff for the Likud’s campaign if there is a third election in less than a year.On the way out of the bloc meeting, journalists asked UTJ leaders Ya’acov Litzman and Moshe Gafni what compromises they would be willing to make to let Liberman into the coalition.“I would give up on breakfast,” Litzman quipped.“I would give up my lunch, too,” Gafni added.
