Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein is concerned about the complacency of the Israeli public in the upcoming elections, and hopes that the right will achieve 61 seats.
In an interview with Arutz Sheva, Edelstein said, "Unfortunately, we are acting as if we are already used to being in power and nothing can happen. We understand very well that the name of the game is 61 seats with the natural partners. Unfortunately, this does not include Yisrael Beytenu because Liberman signed a surplus agreement with Gantz.”
"We need to make the effort for the Likud to be the biggest party and hopefully, just as Feiglin has shown responsibility, other parties with no chance of getting close to the electoral threshold will show responsibility as well. In such a situation, there may be a chance for 61 seats."
Edelstein finds it difficult to understand the claims on the right against Prime Minister Netanyahu who refused to approve Jewish construction in Hevron and also refused to make the Cave of the Patriarchs accessible. "Firstly, I refer to the Prime Minister's visit and the first speech given by an Israeli Prime Minister in Hevron. We have made great progress on the subject of Hevron and I hope that we will make even more progress.”
"We are told that if we are engaged in matters involving settlement, then why have we not done enough and have not made any further progress. I am among those who want to move forward, but we forget that there have been periods in recent decades that we have talked seriously about saving the settlement and preventing the displacement of localities and destructive agreements for the State of Israel and the settlement enterprise," he added.
The Knesset Speaker sees no problem with Netanyahu's campaign warning of other parties taking away seats from the Likud. "In an election campaign, every party wants to get the maximum number of seats, and for us it is important so that we form the government. Anyone who makes tactical considerations not only fails but also stands in the way of others.”
"I suggest to the Likud and to Yamina to avoid wild personal attacks, it's not the style I want to see in election campaigns. The votes are not registered in the name of anyone. The fight is important, but it must not get personal."
When asked about Netanyahu's promise to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, Edelstein replied, "I suggest we leave the debate over sovereignty to those days when we will be in the final wording of the law. I very much hope that by the next Knesset a majority will be formulated to start these steps.”
"I am also not certain about the way, whether to start in areas that are more in a national consensus or whether we must not leave things for later since the move might be torpedoed. In the meantime, I am very happy that we won the discourse and we hear the Prime Minister himself talking about sovereignty."