With Likud continuing to lead in the polls, Labor/The Movement leader Tzipi Livni are trying to find allies and build alliances. Polls released on Thursday, 16 Shevat show the right-wing remains in the lead and Likud will have an easier time forming a coalition than Labor.
In a Channel 2 interview on Thursday, Livni turned to Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, calling upon him to announce he will not enter a coalition led by PM Netanyahu. Channel 2 turned to Lapid for his response. He refused to release any such declaration.
The same holds true with Moshe Kahlon who heads the Kulanu party. He told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) that he will join any coalition that permits him to take on the nation’s banks towards lowering the cost of living. He stated clearly this includes entering a coalition with Herzog or Netanyahu.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Kahlon is basically a Likud’nik on all issues, only he prefers to emphasize economics rather than national security, and he’s less anti-religious than Likud. He left on friendly terms with Netanyahu, and probably will rejoin Likud in the future.
Lapid being in a coalition precludes having hareidi support, and at present there will be more hareidi than Yesh Atid people in the next kenesset.
“Lapid being in a coalition precludes having hareidi support, and at present there will be more hareidi than Yesh Atid people in the next kenesset.”
Lapid is less expensive than the charedim. Lapid is basically what would be called in America a conservative Republican on fiscal and economic issues, while the charedim love the generous welfare state. Herzog is a much more natural partner for the charedim.
Hareidim require a ban on criminalization of draft refusal, which means either: 1) yeshiva exemptions; 2)exemptions for all religious and conscientious objectors; 3) an all volunteer/professional army. At this point, any other issue (such as funding for hareidi mossados) is irrelevant. Conscription is a “life or death” issue. If the zionists insist on conscription, the hareidim will have no choice but to ally with the Arabs (the “Neturei Karta vindicated” scenario).
Funding for the hareidi community is irrelevant. Economically Lapid is a good fit for the Israeli right, but based on the math, a “right of Labor” government excluding hareidim won’t work. In addition, Kulanu is also against conscription of yeshvia students, and Bayit Yehudi has had second thought about mass incarceration of hareidim (its one thing to defund some, its another to put them in concentration camps, which is what mass arrests will look like).
If Lapid backed down on his anti-hareidi campaign (and he would have no trouble with a professional army with liberal veterans benefits – which are currently banned under Israeli law), the a Likud led government with Lapid and Hareidi would work.