If Binyamin Netanyahu’s invitation to Labor is meant to intimidate the National Union, it isn’t working. So says National Union leader MK Yaakov Katz.
Katz says he has no objections to the inclusion of Labor in the coalition government that Netanyahu is trying to form – but “it must be on the basis of the guidelines that are acceptable to the 65 MKs who recommended Netanyahu to the President.”
Ketzaleh was referring to the fact that the reason President Shimon Peres chose Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu to form the next government - despite the fact that the Likud received one less Knesset seat than Kadima in the recent elections - was because of the fact that six nationalist parties, representing 65 MKs, recommended Netanyahu.
The major difference between Labor and the parties on the right is that the former is outspokenly in favor of a Palestinian state and Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, while the National Union will refuse to join a government that even mentions these ideas as a practical solution.
So far, only Yisrael Beiteinu has signed a coalition agreement with the Likud. Shas, United Torah Judaism and the Jewish Home are reportedly close to signing - though they have been so for several days. The exact status of the talks between the Likud and the National Union is not clear, though it has been learned that the latter is no longer demanding the Housing Ministry portfolio.
Labor to Vote on Joining Government
It is considered unlikely that Netanyahu and his Likud negotiators will be able to formulate coalition guidelines that are acceptable to both left-wing Labor and the parties on the right. In addition, many Labor MKs oppose joining the government, and are likely to override Barak when the Labor Central Committee votes on the matter this Tuesday.
“I’m not surprised by the talks between Netanyahu and Barak,” Ketzaleh told Arutz-7’s Hebrew newsmagazine Thursday morning. “Already at our first meeting with the Likud, Netanyahu informed us that he intends to form a broad government [including Labor and/or Kadima], whose base would be his natural partners - the 65 MKs who recommended him.”
Partners Must Agree to Our Guidelines
“I have no objection to a broad government,” Ketzaleh continued, “nor to additional coalition partners who accept our coalition guidelines.”
Katz did relate to the possibility that Netanyahu might go back on his word: “I hope that he will keep his promise to the voters that he would form a government based on his natural partners. He must be loyal to the voters, to the parties that recommended him to the president, and to his promises not to hurt those parties.”
Katz: Progress Has Been Made
Asked how the coalition negotiations with the Likud are proceeding, Ketzaleh said, “There has been great progress in all areas, and I hope that the diplomatic, security and economic principles we have agreed on will not be whitewashed in the course of talks to expand the coalition.”