
Yamina party head MK Naftali Bennett has denied a report claiming that he has agreed to the appointment of former State Attorney Shai Nitzan as the future Attorney-General, in the framework of his coalition-building agreements with Yesh Atid party head MK Yair Lapid.
“I have no words, Netanyahu – it’s simply not true,” Bennett tweeted in response. “As an aside, when you proposed the appointment of Nitzan as State Attorney and enthusiastically explained why he should be appointed, and every single Likud member supported him, I voted against (together with my fellow party members Uri Ariel and Uri Orbach z”l).”
Also responding to the rumor was Yair Lapid, who tweeted: “There has been no decision on the matter of Shai Nitzan – his name hasn’t come up at all, in fact, during the negotiations. As usual, Bibi [Netanyahu] is lying through his teeth. He should be ashamed of himself.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Likud party chairman, MK Miki Zohar, claimed that Lapid and Bennett were discussing the candidacy of Nitzan for the position of Attorney-General, when the current holder of the position, Dr. Avichai Mandelblit, ends his period of tenure in another nine months.
“Unbelievable,” Zohar tweeted. “I hear that in the course of negotiations for the formation of a left-wing government with Bennett, they’ve started to talk seriously about Shai Nitzan as Attorney-General. But relax – because Lapid is ready to compromise and appoint him to the Supreme Court instead,” he added. “Yes, Bennett has embarked on a clearance sale in order to get the keys to Balfour [the Premier’s residence] as a Prime Minister with seven (or possibly only six) party members. The Right will not forgive or forget.”