Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to the press on Monday afternoon and slammed the opposition for “trying to drag Israel into unnecessary elections.”
“The Likud will vote against elections and for unity,” Netanyahu said. “We want unity to achieve various goals including financial goals, security, a vaccine and additional peace agreements. The citizens of Israel need a government that is acting for unity.”
Netanyahu’s statement follows Opposition leader Yair Lapid’s proposal for dissolving the Knesset and calling for new elections, which is scheduled for Wednesday. Lapid encouraged Blue and White on Monday to support his bill.
“In 48 hours we can bring to an end the worst government in the history of the country. In 48 hours we’ll vote on a law to disperse the Knesset,” Lapid said at a Yesh Atid-Telem party meeting.
The statement also follows a controversial move by Blue and White in announcing earlier Monday that it will be proposing three bills that lack coalition backing, one advancing legislation for the rights of gay men in Israel to adopt children, one amending Israel’s Basic Law, and another that would lend legal binding to Israel’s Declaration of Independence.
The controversial bills are opposed by Likud and proposing them to the Knesset without agreement from its coalition partner is a violation of the coalition agreement.
The bills join the ongoing coalition crisis caused by the conflict over the state budget, with the Likud demanding to pass a one-year budget only and Blue and White demanding that the coalition agreement for a two-year budget be honored.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
In 48 hours we can bring to an end the worst government in the history of the country for having locked your borders to foreigners, and keeping loved ones separated.
SHAME on you for banishing us from Israel, whilst letting in shah of Bahrain & Pompeo. It is revolting.
and another that would lend legal binding to Israel’s Declaration of Independence which mandates all Jews free to enter Israel, and you have impeded this basic right by locking borders. Shame on you. You have disgraced yourself.