סמוטריץ' לגנץ: תתחייב שלא להקים ממשלה בתמיכה תומכי טרורערוץ כנסת

Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich spoke at the Knesset plenum on Monday and called on the Blue and White Party and its leader, Benny Gantz, to pledge not to form a government with outside support of the predominantly Arab Joint List party.

"I have no questions for the Arab Knesset members, they have been hypocritical and ungrateful for many years to the State of Israel, which treats them so well and receives slime and mud in return," said Smotrich.

"Benny [Gantz], I do have a question for you - how are you going to form a government with these terror supporters?! You know perfectly well that you cannot form a government without them. When asked on Saturday night in your series of artificial interviews whether you would set up a government based on them, you stuttered slogans written by advisors and you couldn't make a simple and clear statement that it would never happen. Not in such a constellation nor in any other constellation.”

“A government in a Jewish and Zionist state will not be based on them. The last time it happened it exploded in our face with thousands of dead and injured after the Oslo Accords passed here with their votes. I expect you to stand up and declare [that you won’t form a coalition with them], not to provide elusive answers that advisers have written for you.”

Smotrich called on Gantz to stand up and pledge to the citizens of Israel not to form a government in the State of Israel with the support of terrorist supporters “otherwise you are not worthy.”

Gantz refused to go up to the podium and MK Gabi Ashkenazi, who was supposed to speak and conclude the discussion, refused to do so after Minister Smotrich’s remarks.

Immediately afterwards, MK Ahmed Tibi came to the podium and in essence revealed the agreements between the Joint List and Blue and White when he told Smotrich and Rabbi Rafi Peretz that, with the help of the Joint List, they would not be ministers after the elections.