United Torah Jewry (UTJ) MKs met with President Reuven Rivlin Sunday to inform him that they recommended Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to form the next government. Besides UTJ, MKs from Shas, Jewish Home and Likud have also given their nod to Netanyahu, and so far 51 MKs have expressed their approval of him as the next Prime Minister.
Speaking to Rivlin, UTJ MK Yaakov Litzman said that “it's no secret that we have just passed through a difficult two years,” referring to the law requiring yeshiva students to serve in the IDF and other measures pushed by former Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who heads the secularist Yesh Atid. Besides those measures, said Litzman, “there was also a drastic reduction in the amount of money provided families in child payments, and to poor families in welfare and transfer payments. I hope that the new government will be more social-minded,” he said, and added: "I hope the government can last a full term – that is not something we can take for granted.”
Rivlin suggested the idea of a broad-based coalition, including as many parties as possible, as a way to ensure a more socially conscious government, and one better able to face international challenges. Litzman said this would depend on who else would be joining the government. MK Moshe Gafni also said that “there are some whom we will refuse to sit with.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Litzman said that “Lapid demeaned and beat us up. There is no reason for us to be friends or government colleagues. We will not join a government he is part of.” Fellow UTJ MK Moshe Gafni added that UTJ saw itself as a social party. “We got a lot of votes from non-religious voters, who are looking to us for an improvement in the social situation in Israel.”
MK Litzman also said that UTJ would not agree to give up the chairmanship of the Knesset's Finance Committee.
Earlier, the president met with representatives of Shas, who also recommended Netanyahu.
MK Yitzhak Cohen of Shas expressed hope that a stable, strong government would be established as fast as possible, in order to deal with the numerous challenges facing Israel.