Rebel Yamina MK Amichai Chikli, who resigned from the party immediately after it formed a coalition with the left and Ra’am, said on Monday morning that Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked is the one working to save the Bennett-Lapid government.

In an interview with Galei Yisrael, Chikli said: “The one working hardest to fight for this government is Ayelet Shaked. She’s the one leading Naftali Bennett’s rescue battle. I’m saying this out of first-hand knowledge.”

Chikli also revealed that he had formed an agreement with Yamina MK Abir Kara which would have seen Kara resigning from the coalition to form a new party with him and Idit Silman. But ultimately, Kara changed his mind and decided to remain with the coalition.

Chikli also addressed the fact that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared him a renegade from the Yamina party. “As a citizen and a Zionist – there is no forgiveness for what, in the name of the lust for power, these people are willing to do to the State of Israel, despite the fact that they’re aware that the majority of the public in the national camp see one man as its leader. It’s inconceivable what they’ll do for the sake of power.”

Also on Monday, Likud MK Dovid Bitan spoke about the behind-the-scenes efforts to bring in more defectors from the current government, telling Radio 103FM that “currently there are no additional defectors because Shaked forged a united front with three other Yamina MKs and won’t let anyone pass. We’re not providing slots to five Yamina members [including Silman – that’s illogical.”

“Shaked wants to join Likud,” Bitan said. “But she won’t join Likud if they don’t want her – that’s the point. They didn’t want her for a long time. Today, Netanyahu wants her but others in Likud are causing problems.”

“At this point, we don’t need to bring in anyone. They won’t be able to last in this situation, it will dissolve. A situation of 60 versus 60 can’t last.”

Bitan estimated that the government will fall in another two months. “There’s the one-month break [until after Pesach]. After that, in another month, a month and a half, it will fall.”

According to a Reshet Bet report on Monday, Shaked has made it clear that she has no intention of leaving the coalition, saying that she won’t drag the country into another round of elections.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)