In an interview with Kol Berama Radio on Wednesday morning 15 Elul, MK Moshe Gafne explained that in his recent meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a number of things were discussed including the Zero VAT Law. Gafne stated there is absolutely no doubt that the prime minister opposes the law, which is being pushed thought by Yesh Atid leader Finance Minister Yair Lapid.
Gafne stresses the experts, including leadings economists warn the plan is fiscally destructive for the state yet Lapid is set on the bill and the prime minister does not want the coalition to break apart.
Gafne explained that what is clear to him and his colleagues today is that the prime minister is not in control of the coalition, rather he is being led around by his coalition partners. He explained that the major issue is that the prime minister is being dragged in different directions under threats of the coalition breaking apart. Gafne feels the main question is if the prime minister will continue permitting himself and his coalition to be led by others or if he will stand firm on his beliefs and permit the coalition to break apart.
Kol Berama:
But Lieberman has already stated he is not willing to sit with chareidim in the coalition. The same for Lapid.
Gafne:
If I were the prime minister’s advisor, I would simply show them the polls. It is clear that both Lieberman and Lapid will lose seats and are not in a hurry to head to new elections. By the way Bennett told me on the phone yesterday that he too is against the Zero VAT Law. The question remains is if the prime minister is willing to stand up to Lapid on the issue of this bill.
Kol Berama:
Let’s say the prime minister has heard your words today. Can you tell him that if Yair Lapid leaves the coalition Yahadut Hatorah will definitely enter?
Gafne:
I believe so. You are aware that we do not decide, but rather Gedolei Torah. We will recommend entering the coalition. It should be clear to all that for as long as Lapid is in the coalition, we will not enter.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Bennet ,Stern and Livni he is willing to sit with?!
February 18, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Lapid: Entering Gov’t with Shas will End My Career
Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi chairmen have reportedly decided to stick together no matter what.
Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid is reportedly steadfast in his position against joining a coalition that includes Shas and United Torah Judaism, the Sephardic and Ashkenazi hareidi parties.
According to Channel 10, Lapid said, “I do not even have a dilemma regarding entering a government with Shas.”
“If, on the day of the government’s swearing-in, I am photographed in the Presidential Residence with a Shas minister standing next to me, I will have ended my political career,” he reportedly added…
If Bennett is under pressure from within Bayit Yehudi not to side with Lapid against the hareidi parties, he is not showing it. Bennett’s pact with Lapid could be real, or he could simply be playing political poker with Netanyahu, forcing Netanyahu to make him a very generous offer in order to get him to join the coalition without Lapid.
The hareidi parties are considered “natural” coalition partners for Netanyahu, since they fit in well with the concept of religious right wing bloc, do not pose a threat to his leadership and do not have serious demands regarding security policy and diplomacy. A coalition with Yesh Atid might involve taking harsh steps to force hareidi men into the military, and this could cause long-term alienation between Likud Beytenu and the hareidi parties.
(Bennet prefers Lapid to do the heavy lifting, then he can lift up his feet and say “look I’m kosher”)
Compare this declaration with some of the dozens of ruthless out and out false pernicious comments that had been posted here :
SpiderJerusalem says:
February 21, 2013 at 12:05 am
The haredim ally themselves with whomever promises their tzibur with the most benefits. Your allegiance means nothing.
rabbiofberlin says:
February 21, 2013 at 9:28 am
Rabbi Braum is welcome to join the chareidi parties with his views….the parties who sell themselves ot the highest bidder and could not care less about Am yisroel. the parties who suck the public purse dry and do not contribute to the general welfare of the jews in israel, the parties who hide behind the brave soldiers who protect them in their Bet midrash..
Gefet says:
February 15, 2013 at 1:56 pm
#5 – Sorry #5, but you speak anything other than “emess”.
The chareidi parties have for years sold themselves to the highest bidder, being more than willing to align themselves with the most anti-Torah elements in order to advance their narrow self-interests. They certainly had no problem entering coalitions with parties which unlike Yesh Atid were anti-Torah across the board. Now that the electorate has finally awakened from its slumber and the chareidim realize they may finally (and hopefully) be excluded from the coalition, they suddenly have “discovered” the Torah Zionists they despise so much.
Compare with :
The party (Mafdal) was unique in that it participated in all the governments of Israel until 1992.. The longtime cooperation between the Israeli Labour Party and the NRP is sometimes referred to as the historic league (הברית ההיסטורית).
..
Critics from religious parties such as Shas and Agudat Israel scorned the NRP for having been in the governing coalition with an ultra-secular party like Shinui , and for not doing enough to keep the Jewish character of Israel; in one example, the party displayed little, if any, resistance or dismay, against former Internal Minister Avraham Poraz’s decision not to enforce the prohibition of selling bread during Passover (when eating bread is a prohibition of Chametz according to Orthodox Judaism).
I don’t believe him for a second. For the right price, they’ll join. Shas approached Labor, which is far worse than Lapid. The Chareidi parties never turned down an opportunity to be in the government, no matter who was in it.