While Bayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett clings to his agreement with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, it appears all is not well at home. A number of senior party officials feel he must take coalition efforts more seriously with a goal of entering the government. According to numerous reports, including Yisrael Hayom, Bennett feels that there is no room for compromise on the share the burden issue and he and Lapid feel the prime minister will have to acquiesce to their demands, since they control 31 seats.
Party officials however see a different picture, one that includes the formation of a coalition with a breakaway faction of Labor along with other parties; fearing they may find themselves in opposition and it will be too late to cut a deal resembling what is being offered today. The internal opposition feels that in order for the party to maximize its election success, it must enter the coalition and play a role in the government’s decision-making process.
The report adds that Bayit Yehudi MK Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan supports a coalition including his party, Yesh Atid and Shas, but Yair Lapid is not in agreement and he alone is preventing the formation of a coalition government.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Bibi is still spinning instead of facing the challenge the Israeli electorate placed squarely before him. Legufo: (a) HaBayit Hayehudi made the ‘share the burden’ issue a cornerstone of its campaign and all its MKs, including harav Ben-Dahan, back it (b) HaBayit HaYehudi, including Bennett, has not said that they won’t be coalition partners with the charedi parties. Adrabba, they repeatedly state that the best of all worlds is a coalition that is obligated to drafting charedim and which includes charedi political parties (c) They do have a problem with Sha”s at the moment following the terrible things Sha”s said about them in the campaign and they are requiring a full and public apology and retraction, which Deri reportedly has promised them. Interestingly, it was davka harav Ben Dahan who first made the requirement and he has not budged since.
#1
The metzius is if (a) then not (b).
As for (c), if Bayit Yehudi had not backed civil marriage, no one would have said “terrible things” about them. Let them clarify their position on that.
#2 – It may be that if (a) then not (b), but to be realistic, the metzius is that the charedi parties cannot afford to sit in the opposition for ever. So even if they are in the opposition when the new law is passed, ew will end up, probably sooner rather than later, with both (a) and (b). Wait and see.
As for (c) ‘civil marriage’ was floated by Ayelet Shaked well after HaBayit HaYehudi had been savaged by Sha”s. And let’s not get confused: the attack had absolutely nothing to do with ‘leshem shamayim’ and absolutely everything to do with politics.
#1 How simplistic and inaccurate you are!
Of course Bennet wants the chareidim inside the coalition with the full Lapid draft and with him in control of Religions Ministry, Education Ministry, Interior Ministry and Housing Ministry. Even Lapid wants the chareidim with him on those terms. Bibi would take Meretz too if they would allow his right-wing policies on everything. The art of politics is פשרה, something both Bennet and Lapid (far too intoxicated with their impressive wins) are too immature to apply.
IMO Bibi is not interested in being a kindergarten teacher to Bennet and Lapid for the next 4 years. They are both far too drunk and convinced of their power to reach any longterm agreement at the moment. I think that either Labor or part of Labor will join Bibi at some point and both Lapid and Bennet can enjoy themselves in the opposition until Bennet (forced by the more experienced MK’s in Bait Hayehudi) will beg Bibi to enter the coalition and will be lucky to get Ministry of Sport.
Even this “broiges” with Shas is so infantile. This is politics my friends! Todays enemies are tomorrows friends. Grow up Rabbi Ben Dahan, this isn’t the courtroom, this is Knesset. As you yourself Mr Yagel Libi say in #3, this isn’t leshem Shamayim this is politics, so Bait Hayehudi accept it as politics and move on.
Bibi isn’t spinning, he is trying to form a coalition but is stuck by a few babies who don’t know the rules of the game. All the media are reporting now that Bibi has had enough of Bennet and his political immaturity and is going to sign with Shas and UTJ together with Kadima and Hatenua, making a total of 57 MKs and then he will pull a few Laborites to complete the picture. Bennet will then be shown up for what he is, politically stupid (although very talented in other areas!). He will be branded as Lapid’s poodle and blamed for any Palestinian gains under Livni’s influence.
Making the issue of “Burden equality” so important when everyone really involved, including highranking army personnel and political experts, will tell you that any system that forces the chareidim will backfire badly. The only system that is already working and can be expanded, is to have chareidi orientated branches in the army and “Sherut Leumi”. The financial situation is forcing changes but until it is no longer “yehoreg ve’al ya’avor” to join the army, people will suffer in poverty or work “black”. The only way to bring the masses in to the army and workplace is to make it chareidi-friendly. Bennet thinks he knows better than everyone else besides for his mentor, Rabbi Lapid, will have to learn the hard way….