Bezalel Smotrich, the chairman of the Religious Zionist party ruled out joining a narrow right-wing government supported by the Islamist Ra’am Party.

“A right-wing government supported by Mansour Abbas’ Ra’am will not be established,” Smotrich wrote. “Period. Not from the inside, not from the outside, not via abstention, and by any other Israbluff.”

“Supporters of terror who deny the existence of the state of Israel as a Jewish state are not legitimate partners in any government.”

Smotrich continued by saying that the public has already grown used to the hypocrisy of the left, who pursue Netanyahu despite his tremendous achievements and are willing to “sell the state of Israel to those who identify with the worst of its enemies.”

“The irresponsible voices on the right in recent days who support such a reliance on the ‘nice Abbas’ indicate a dangerous confusion,” Smotrich asserted. “Friends, forget about it. It won’t happen. Not on my watch.”

Smotrich then called on Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett and New Hope chairman Gideon Saar to put aside their personal differences [regarding joining a Netanyahu-led government] and enter a right-wing government, setting as a condition a true right-wing government – regarding the legal system, settlement, security, Jewish identity, the expulsion of illegal infiltrators, etc.

“The Religious Zionist party will of course support them regarding these demands and I’m convinced that the Chareidi parties will do so as well,” Smotrich wrote.

Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir also ruled out joining a government with Ra’am.

Bennet has not ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led government but Gideon Sa’ar has and reportedly turned down an invitation to meet with Likud officials on forming a coalition, saying that if Netanyahu forms a government, his party will sit in the opposition.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)