While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently ruled out the possibility of a national unity coalition including Labor/The Movement list, his defense minister on Thursday, 14 Adar says otherwise. The prime minister recently responded to rumors that a deal with Yitzchak Herzog is possible, stating this simply is not so. He denied any possibility of a coalition with Labor and The Movement parties.
Ya’alon stated that first and foremost he hopes Likud will build a right-wing coalition and after this is accomplished, he does not see why Labor cannot be invited to enter if the party so desires. He did state however that doing so would have to be with the understanding the premiership will not be on a rotating basis as reported would be the case in the event of a deal between Likud and Labor.
When asked about continuing as defense minister, Ya’alon stated he would like to do so. When asked about Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett who is rumored to want the post, Ya’alon stated the job is a serious one and not necessarily for one who releases irresponsible statements as was seen during Operation Protective Edge.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
To form a right-wing coalition, Likud will need the hareidim, and that would require cancelling conscription of yeshiva students. Many on the right are unwilling to do so.
To form a left-wing coalition, Labor would have to include the Arab non-zionist parties (which many even on the left object to), as well as cancelling conscription of yeshiva students. While many leftists would support abolishing conscription all together, many are also very anti-religious.
That leaves only a third possibility, a Likud-Labor coalition that excludes most of the small parties.
“a Likud-Labor coalition ”
That might be best for Israel as the government would not be as vulnerable to political blackmail. Herzog isn’t all that much different on defense and foreign policy from Netanyahu anyway.