The national-religious Yamina party announced on Sunday that it not joining the national-unity government formed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and is joining the opposition.

The Yamina party, led by current Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz, Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked has been publicly sparring with Netanyahu for days over the distribution of ministerial portfolios.

“In light of the government’s composition and its policies, indicating it as as a left-wing government led by Netanyahu, and in light of the prime minister’s blatant contempt for Yamina and its voters, Yamina has decided to serve the public from the opposition in the upcoming term and fight for the national camp from there,” the party stated.

“The decision was made after repeated attempts at exhaustive coalition negotiations with the Likud and Prime Minister Netanyahu, who chose to dismantle the right-wing bloc and its partnership with Yamina.”

“Yamina will prepare for the day after Netanyahu,” Yamina asserted, with the statement continuing by slamming Netanyahu for “selling the justice system to the left for personal survival;” “kowtowing to Hamas and Abbas;” and “selling the economy to Amir Peretz and the Histadrut.”

In response, the Likud stated: “If Yamina would have received another portfolio, then it would have been considered a right-wing government in their view? This is the first government in the history of the state that will implement sovereignty on Yehudah and Shomron.”

“We’re sorry that Yamina will not be a part of this only due to internal spats about the allocation of portfolios. We hope that Yamina will come to its senses, show national responsibility and enter the government that will lead a historic process in the history of Zionism.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)