Yahadut Hatorah party chairman, Deputy Minister Yaakov Litzman, verified that he will not sit in a coalition government with Yair Lapid, despite reports on Tuesday to the contrary.

Speaking at a Tel Aviv conference, Deputy Minister was referring to media reports that if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is unable to form a coalition government, Yahadut Hatorah would not rule out entering into a coalition headed by Benny Gantz. The report added that such an occurrence would hinge on the abolishment of the rotation agreement that exist in the party today; that is to say after Gantz serves as Prime Minister for half of the tenure of the coalition, Lapid would then assume the role of Prime Minister. Litzman told Yediot Achronot correspondent Yaniv Kozin that report is simply inaccurate and that his party would not enter into any coalition that has Yair Lapid as a member.

“I’m not one who harms Israel. Whoever humiliates me and insults me I will not be his friend, I will not sit with him. I support Netanyahu unequivocally and he will emerge innocent” [from the various police investigations against him].

For the chareidi members of Knesset, Lapid represents a red sheet. “L’chatchila we have no problem with Gantz, however our problem is with Lapid”, a Yahadut Hatorah source told Maariv. Contradicting statements from Litzman, indicating that for as long as Gantz is Prime Minister, and the rotation agreement with Lapid is canceled, and for as long as the party would agree to the policies of Yahadut Hatorah, then there is a possibility of sitting together in the same coalition government.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)