In a round of meetings Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held with members of the right-wing bloc these past few days, various possibilities for forming a right-wing government were raised.
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Among other options, party leaders discussed the need to find a creative solution to National Religious party leader Bezalel Smotrich's opposition to joining a government that would be dependent on Ra'am and the need to pressure members of New Hope and other parties in an attempt to persuade them to detach themselves from those lists and join a Netanyahu government.
But Israel Hayom has learned that another idea was floated as a sort of "last resort." Although Netanyahu said during the campaign that he would not agree to serve as prime minister in a rotation, he might be forced to agree to a rotation with Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, who would take the first turn as prime minister, with Netanyahu in the role of alternate prime minister. This position is allowed under a law that was changed to bring Benny Gantz into the current government as alternate prime minister.
Political officials have reportedly run this scenario by New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar, who has agreed to enter a government under that format, without Netanyahu as prime minister.
A few conditions would have to be met for this option to be implemented. First, Netanyahu has refused to a two-year rotation, and as of Friday it was still unclear for what period of time he would be willing to see Bennett serve as prime minister. However, the very fact that Netanyahu is willing to consider any rotation is a major change.
Second, Netanyahu's Likud party would demand that should the Supreme Court rule against Netanyahu being allowed to serve as prime minister, Bennett would step down and allow Netanyahu to head the government.
Third, Netanyahu and his family would remain in the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem for the entire period the government is in power, even when he is not prime minister. Bennett is expected to agree to this condition, and will continue living in his own home in Raanana. The Likud has not responded to this report. According to Sa'ar, "No such proposal has been made."
Meanwhile, sources close to Netanyahu have raised the possibility that as a last-ditch answer, another Likud member might serve as prime minister to persuade Sa'ar to join the coalition.
On Thursday night, Netanyahu met with both Smotrich and Bennett.
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Prior to the meeting, Bennett said, "Since the election, countless Israelis have reached out to me, asking, really begging, me to pull Israel out of the ongoing chaos. I am here with a lot of good will and I am committed to doing what I can to rescue Israel from the chaos and form a good, stable government. This is the time for national responsibility."
After the meeting, the Likud and Yamina issued a joint statement: "The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett is over. It was conducted in good spirit and a positive atmosphere. They agreed to meet again."
Earlier Thursday, Joint Arab List Chairman Ayman Odeh ruled out joining a coalition under Netanyahu, which will make it more difficult for the anti-Netanyahu bloc to replace the prime minister.
Speaking to the Arabic radio station Nas, Odeh said, "We will in no circumstances agree to support or allow the establishment of a government under Naftali Bennett," and added "We won't replace a racist with a racist."
Speaking to the Haredi news site Kikar Hashabbat on Thursday, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit, Itamar Ben-Gvir was asked if he would oppose the establishment of a government supported from outside by the Religious Zionist party and the Islamist Ra'am. Ben-Gvir answered that he would not "be a partner in a government like that."
When asked if he would vote against it, Ben-Gvir repeated his unwillingness to be a partner. When asked specifically if he would join the opposition, Ben-Gvir declined to answer.
After Ben-Gvir's remarks in the interview, associates of the prime minister accused Smotrich, who ran on a joint ticket with Otzma Yehudit, of preventing a right-wing government that would have the support of Ra'am.
Smotrich rushed to calm the waters and told Israel Hayom: "Not from outside, not from inside, not maybe, not abstention, not directly and not indirectly. We will vote against any cooperation with [Ra'am leader Mansour] Abbas. Maybe Itamar didn't understand the question, maybe he wanted to coordinate with me, but in any case – there will be no government like that. Full stop."
While all this was unfolding, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid left early Thursday, Holocaust Remembrance Day, for a six-day vacation to the US. He is expected to return on the eve of Independence Day, April 14.
