Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who chairs the Sephardic-haredi Shas party, has answered a resolute "no" to Yamina chief MK Naftali Bennett's query as to whether the haredi parties would join a coalition that does not include the Likud, Israel Hayom reported.
"I told Bennett that there is no other option, other than the formation of a right-wing government," Deri told Israel Hayom. "I told him very clearly that there is no way in the world that we will join him in a government without the Likud. Even if it is the last minute, even if it leads to fifth elections. Our stance is unambiguous: United Torah Judaism also will not join such a government, and I explained to him why."
"We will not enter a coalition which will not immediately legislate the Draft Law as we agreed on it; we will not join a government which will not legislate a minimal governmental Conversion Law, and we insist on the Override Clause as well. Would that be achieved with [MK] Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid)? Absolutely not.
"If Bennett would have said, 'I'm with the right-wing bloc' we could have found a solution for [New Hope Chairman MK] Gideon Sa'ar. As long as Sa'ar thinks he has another option - he is not willing to hear about this."
"We are staying on the Right," Deri emphasized, adding that "Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar need to understand in the clearest way that there is no alternative other than a right-wing government."
"There is no middle ground. The people have made themselves heard: There are 65 Knesset seats who want a right-wing government, and now we need to overcome all the problems within the home. We need to rule out every other alternative."