As part of their covert talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made New Hope leader Gideon Saar a new offer this morning. Netanyahu proposed a three-way rotation in which Saar would serve as prime minister for the first 15 months, Netanyahu would then become prime minister for two years and then Yamina leader Naftali Bennett would be prime minister for the final 15 months.
Saar rebuffed the offer. He tweeted, "Our position and our commitment have been and remain to change the Netanyahu administration and we will continue to work accordingly. Here is a hot tip for the coming few days. Ignore the spin."
As "Globes" reported over the weekend, similar offers had been made to Saar in recent weeks but because Netanyahu had not committed to let Saar serve first as prime minister, the talks were frozen. Now with such an offer on the table the right is making some recalculations.
Attempts to form a right wing coalition are being led by Yamina number two Ayelet Shaked who asked Bennett to exhaust right wing options before announcing the formation of a change bloc government with Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid. Yamina will meet this afternoon to discuss Netanyahu's latest offer and sources in the party insist that a right wing coalition government is still their preference.
Saar will meet with Lapid this afternoon although it remains unclear what they will discuss following Netanyahu's latest offer.
In attempts to persuade Saar to join a coalition with Netanyahu, the leaders of the Shas, United Torah Judaism and Religious Zionism parties have signed a joint letter calling on Saar and Bennett to join in "setting up a right wing government" and preventing "a left wing government that would endanger the country."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on May 30, 2021
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