As some Likud officials have confirmed talks are ongoing between the party and the Machane Tzioni party towards bringing the latter into the coalition, Bayit Yehudi party leader Naftali Bennett, who represents eight coalition seats, has already threatened to leave the coalition if Machane Tzioni enters. However, one should realize if Machane Tzioni does reach a deal to enter the coalition, and Bayit Yehudi leaves, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will still be in a stronger coalition since Machane Tzioni has twenty four seats. That means today’s one-seat parliamentary majority would increase to a 17-seat majority, a far more comfortable margin.

Degel Hatorah party leader MK Moshe Gafne has already declared that he prefers sitting in a coalition government with Machane Tzioni than Naftali Bennett’s dati leumi party, which he labels “our enemy”.

According to a report from Kav Etonut (‘קו עיתונות’), which quotes him responding to a question which of the two parties does he prefer, Gafne states that Bayit Yehudi is the party’s worst political enemy and he therefore backs efforts to Machane Tzioni into the coalition at the expense of Bayit Yehudi. He added his party maintains excellent ties with Machane Tzioni leader MK Yitzchak Herzog.

Earlier this week MK (Machane Tzioni) Eitan Broshi called on his party to consider entering the coalition. He explained that there are many “fatal decisions” facing this coalition and he prefers to be a part of this decision-making process than in opposition.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)