The chairmen of three right-wing parties that support Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Moshe Gafni, Aryeh Deri and Betzalel Smotrich, will not support a government with a rotation for prime minister between Netanyahu and Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett, Channel 12 News reported.

Gafni, Deri, and Smotrich say that they cannot support allowing Bennett, whose party won only seven mandates, to be prime minister when their parties have more or the same number of mandates as his party.

In the recent elections, Shas won nine mandates, UTJ won seven mandates and the Religious Zionist party won six mandates.

Smotrich has also refused to join a government supported by the Islamic Ra’am party and a Kan News report on Monday said that Netanyahu has given up efforts to change his mind.

The prime minister is now focusing his efforts on convincing Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party to join his government, a highly unlikely prospect since Sa’ar has repeatedly vowed not to do so.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)