Chairman of the Religious Zionist party Betzalel Smotrich on Tuesday heaped scathing criticism on Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and warned that Yamina’s “right-wing” influence on the government will be nil.

Smotrich rejected Yamina’s claim that no anti-religious laws will be passed due to the party’s right to veto any laws. “Yamina continues to lie and claim that despite all the terrible things in the agreements between Lapid and the left-wing bloc, they have a veto over everything,” Smotrich said. “The reality is completely the opposite.”

“Under the new law regarding rotational governments they’re legislating, Bennett will be held hostage in this government without any ability to disperse it and remain in the political system. [Smotrich is referring to a stipulation in the coalition agreements that Bennett will be banned from taking another government position if the coalition is dispersed.]

“The day after the swearing-in of the government, each of the partners can do what he wants, whether in his ministry or in the Knesset,” Smotrich asserted. “Bennett won’t have any leverage or ability to stop it.”

“At the end of the day, he only has six mandates out of 61, and dispersing the government, as I said, isn’t possible because according to the new law, Lapid will then automatically become the prime minister and Bennett won’t even be able to serve as a deputy minister.”

“Bennett will be the prime minister in this government by title and ego but he’ll be a puppet of the left-wing majority in all realms, definitely in everything related to religion and state. Furthermore, Lieberman is worse than most of the left and he now holds the Finance Ministry and the Finance Committee.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)