Moshe Gafni
Moshe GafniFlash 90

MK Moshe Gafni, who leads the UTJ's Degel Hatorah faction, estimated this weekend that a compromise will be found at the last minute, and Israel will not have new elections, Kikar Hashabbat reported.

His statements come in direct contradiction to those of Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman (UTJ), who said earlier this week that Israel is "headed towards new elections."

"The fact is, we're at a dead end," Gafni told 103 FM Radio. "There's a kind of negotiations between Likud and Blue and White, but it doesn't have any significance."

He estimated that the 28 days allotted to MK Benny Gantz (Blue and White) will draw to a close without him being able to form a government.

"There will be another 21 days and then we'll hold new elections. And no one wants that. I estimate that at the end of the day, a solution will be found, and it will be based on the fact that the blocs will change."

He added that he believes that some of Gantz's party members will desert him at the last minute and join the Likud in order to form a government.

"It could be that someone who is with Gantz will join a coalition led by [Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu. Or we'll hold new elections, or Knesset or party members will stand up and join a government which in normal times they would not join," he explained. "We won't change in this matter, and we won't go with Benny Gantz. When it comes to the argument about the Draft Law, be prepared to compromise."

"We have compromised from now and until further notice. They can compromise, because I compromised until now. We agreed to this law, as long as they make it a normal law. [Yisrael Beytenu Chairman MK Avigdor] Liberman is not the owner of the State. Should I give in to him? For seventy years the State has had a status quo that is consistently trampled when it comes to Jewish issues. Now I need to give this profiting sinner more things?

"The Draft Law was our compromise. There are other things we are willing to compromise on, but I will not negotiate on the radio. I agree to sit at the table and think of compromises.

"When it gets to the stage where we have the threat of elections over our heads, I think we'll sit at the table and find a solution.

"We've gone with Netanyahu all these years and we're not zigzagging on that issue. To start negotiating with [Blue and White MKs] Yair Lapid and Gantz? Lapid runs everything there. That would weaken us and strengthen Yair Lapid.

"The situation right now looks like we're at a dead end and there are no solutions in sight. I estimate that the moment there's no escaping new elections, people will wake up and search for ways to form a coalition and not hold elections."