PM summons Knesset speaker Yariv Levin, Coalition whip Miki Zohar, the leaders of Shar, the Religious Zionist Party, and United Torah Judaism, as well as the heads of the Yesha Council, to discuss how the Right can prevent the Lapid-Bennett government's induction.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called an emergency meeting of right-wing leaders to discuss ways in which the bloc can prevent the government formed by the Center-Left bloc from being sworn in.
Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid informed President Reuven Rivlin that he has managed to form a coalition late on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, Yesh Atid presented the Knesset Secretariat with the signatures of 61 lawmakers, seeking to cement the change of government in Israel.
Lapid and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, the bloc's would-be prime minister as part of a power-sharing deal with Yesh Atid, seeks to have the new government sworn in by next Wednesday.
According to Channel 12 News, Yesh Atid has also presented a motion to immediately replace Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin (Likud) with MK Mickey Levy, as it is believed Levin will use his power to delay the vote in an effort to further delay Netanyahu's ouster.
On Thursday morning, Netanyahu summoned Levin, Coalition whip MK Miki Zohar, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, United Torah Judaism leaders Moshe Gafni and Yakov Litzman, and the heads of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Jewish localities in Judea and Samaria,to the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem to discuss their options.
Netanyahu said on Twitter that "all legislators elected by votes from the Right must oppose this dangerous left-wing government."
The Likud issued no official statement following Lapid's assertion that he has been able to form a government, with party insiders saying that "not all is lost" and pledging to continue efforts to counter the plan to remove Netanyahu – Israel's longest-serving prime minister – from power.
Likud MK Keren Barak said, "Yesterday [Wednesday] we said that it's not over till it's over. Everyone can see that these seven parties [making up the coalition] have nothing in common. We plan to explain that to the public in the coming days."
Political analysts have widely expected Netanyahu to try to pick off what one described as "low-hanging fruit," seizing upon Yamina members who are unhappy about joining forces with Arab and leftist lawmakers.
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