Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday met with Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, United Torah Judaism Chairman Moshe Gafni, and former Health Minister MK Yakov Litzman (UTJ) in an attempt to cobble together a right-wing coalition despite lacking a 61-seat majority.
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On Thursday, the prime minister will meet with Religious Zionism party Chairman Bezalel Smotrich and Yamina Chairman Naftali Bennett.
In his meeting with the Haredi factions, the sides presented ideas for establishing a coalition. Mouthpieces for the Haredi factions denied reports that party leaders told Netanyahu they would not run with him in a fifth election and that they could opt to align themselves with Bennett. According to the reports, they also told the premier they believe there will not be another election because if Netanyahu fails to form a government, Bennett will form a coalition with Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid.
Litzman told Haredi radio station Kol Barama on Wednesday that "there is no chance we will sit with Lapid or [Israel Beytenu Chairman Avigdor] Lieberman. Anyone who says otherwise is dreaming." Litzman added: "I spoke with Smotrich, I understood there are formulas for a solution," without offering any further details.
Meanwhile, Yesh Atid MK Boaz Toporovsky told Army Radio on Wednesday that Lapid "is prepared to recommend Bennett [for the premiership] if he promises not to join [Netanyahu], but he was not willing [to make that promise]."
Earlier in the day, Lapid took to Facebook to outline a possible government he could form with Bennett. The post, which he headlined "The Government We Will Try Establishing," opened by saying: "The first stage didn't work out in our favor. Netanyahu received the first [president's] mandate. Shame."
'The country is wounded'
Lapid continued: "The goal was and remains singular: Establish a national consensus government." He highlighted the center-left's message, often delivered by Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz, whereby "Israel is a wounded country."
The Yesh Atid leader also slammed the media's focus on whether such a government would be left or right-wing, saying it "will be a government for those who want things to be good here."
He added: "In this government that we are trying to establish there will be three overtly right-wing parties (Yamina, New Hope, and Israel Beytenu), two centrist parties (Yesh Atid and Blue and White) and two Zionist left-wing parties (Labor and Meretz).
"This means no one will get everything he wants, but there will be a balance that forces us to focus on practical goals. No one will neglect his ideology but at the moment we have more pressing problems. They will not be solved by headlines, but by ministers who come to work."
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