As Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party and other parties on the left get closer and closer to forming a unity government with Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party, some Chareidi MKs are urging  Prime Minister Netanyahu to step aside as prime minister for an extended period of time, in an effort to build enough support to bring parties like Yamina, and “A New Hope” back and have them join a right-wing government.

Two members of the UTJ sub-group Agudas Yisroel, Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush, and MK Yisroel Eichler, wrote to  Netanyahu on Sunday and asked him to pledge to step aside as prime minister for 18 months if a narrow right-wing government can be formed with 65 MKs.

According to the proposition put forth by Porush and Eichler, the premiership would be shared in a rotational deal between Netanyahu and any MK able to secure the support of 65 right-wing lawmakers, meaning Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett. Netanyahu would step aside as premier for the first 18 months, and then rotate back in after a year and a half.

Porush and Eichler wrote, “As you know, over the past two years and four rounds of elections, the Chareidi and religious factions backed the right-wing bloc led by the Likud, with the intention of forming a solidly right-wing government based on tradition and values, but unfortunately we weren’t successful.”

“Your request to keep on maintaining the Likud-religious-Chareidi bloc is fully understandable in an effort to prevent the establishment of a center-left government.”

“That being said, we have no desire to go to a fifth election, which could end with a defeat for the right-wing and Chareidi parties. Therefore, we need to bring together the parties from the traditional bloc for a joint effort to establish a right-wing government and prevent the new elections.”

Housing Minister and MK Yaakov Litzman, who heads the Agudas Yisroel faction of the UTJ party, said in response to the letter written by members of his own faction, that the Agudas Yisroel faction is unwavering in its support of Netanyahu, and only Netanyahu, for the premiership. “Agudath Israel is unified in its support of Benjamin Netanyahu throughout all recent election campaigns.” He added that any decision made by the faction will be ratified by Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel (Admorim).

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)