Two days before the elections and Yamina has had enough. Chairman of the party Ayelet Shaked delivered an unprecedented speech accusing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of a personal vendetta against her and the Yamina party on Sunday evening.
On Sunday afternoon, Yamina called for an emergency meeting for its members in Airport City and Shaked addressed reporters when the meeting ended. The meeting was called in light of Netanyahu’s attempt to convince right-wing supporters not to vote for Yamina is his now ubiquitous “gevalt” campaign to convince voters that if they vote for smaller parties instead of Likud, a left-wing government will be established.
In her speech, Shaked questioned why Netanyahu works against Yamina. “Netanyahu never really wanted us in his government. He always appeals to our voters [to vote for Likud] – not to Shas voters, UTJ voters and he definitely doesn’t call an all-out war on Liberman who moved to the left-wing bloc.”
“I think that Israel is important to Netanyahu and his close supporters but apparently there’s something overriding that – me. You know that I always did everything I could to act like a responsible adult in this relationship [with Bibi]. I always silently absorbed [the barbs] and maintained my stance of those who are insulted but don’t insult back. But yes, I’m a person and I admit that it pains me…that many things are withheld from me for wrongful reasons.”
“The only reason that Netanyahu is clashing with us is that he wants to see me and the most ideological right-wing list, Religous Zionism, small and pathetic and unable to be of influence. I’m informing you today that this time Yamina does not intend to be crushed under the wheels of Netanyahu’s truck. I won’t allow the grudge that Netanyahu and his supporters express towards me to harm important matters which is what we’re really fighting for.”
“Don’t allow Netanyahu’s “gevalt” campaign to influence you this time. It’s simply not true. The size of the bloc is the decisive factor – and a too-large Likud will result in a left-wing government.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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She may have finally realized that Yamina is almost certainly not going to be offered to be part of the next coalition and is beginning to prepare herself for the position of leader of the opposition in the next Knesset.