Early in the week, it was the New Right’s Naftali Bennett who was the center of attention. After Blue and White party leader, Benny Gantz, reportedly offered Bennett and his running mate Ayelet Shaked the positions of defense minister and justice minister in his government, Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu countered by offering Bennett the defense minister post in his right-wing coalition.
Gantz is currently in the midst of a one-month period in which he has been granted the opportunity by Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, to form a government. If he fails, a 21-day period will follow in which Rivlin can ask any party to attempt to form a coalition.
If Gantz can convince Bennett and Shaked to leave the Netanyahu bloc, he would be closer to forming a majority. A coalition of Blue and White, Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu, the New Right, Labor, and the Democratic Union would comprise 55 seats. Gantz would then need to convince a handful of Likud MKs to bolt.
Responding to the supposed offer, Bennet responded that he had not yet heard from Netanyahu. “I’ll weigh every suggestion when I get it,” he said. Simultaneously, he stressed that a unity government was indispensable at this time and released Netanyahu from any commitment to New Right if Likud has the opportunity to form a coalition with Blue and White. “Israel is in a national emergency,” he said. “We can’t continue delaying the root treatment that is necessary in Gaza, in addition to preventing Iran’s chokehold around Israel. We can’t allow Israel to go to a third round of elections that would paralyze the country and prevent urgent security and civil measures. Above all, Netanyahu and Gantz must compromise and form a unity government.”
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