With Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s hopes of securing an outright majority with the right-wing bloc dashed, the Likud is gearing up for a massive campaign targeting the leaders of the New Hope and Yamina parties, Yediot Aharonot reported Friday morning.
The Central Elections Committee released the final results of this week's elections for the 24th Knesset Thursday evening, showing that the Likud and its likely allies on the Right received just 59 seats – with Yamina included – two short of a majority.
While some in the Likud have floated the idea of building a minority government supported from the Opposition by the United Arab List’s (Ra’am) four Knesset Members, Religious Zionist Party chief Bezalel Smotrich vowed not to join such a government, leaving Netanyahu short of the needed 61 seats, even if the UAL were included.
Now, Yediot Aharonot reported Friday morning, the Likud is preparing a campaign to aggressively target New Hope chief Gideon Sa’ar and Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett, with the aim of preventing them from helping to form an alternative government.
Sa’ar, a former Likud MK, has vowed that his party will not join a Netanyahu-led government, and will instead work to form an alternative coalition – one which does not rely on the Joint Arab List or United Arab List.
Bennett has refused to discuss his plans, saying only that he will work to ensure that Israel does not go to its fifth election in two years.
According to the report Friday, the Likud is currently drawing up plans for massive protests against Bennett and Sa’ar, while working to pressure MKs from Yamina and New Hope not to join an alternative government.
“Bennett will need to explain how he can join a government with Meretz and the Arab parties,” a senior Likud official said.