Yoav Kisch
Yoav KischArutz Sheva

Efforts to form a unity government continue, but are not likely to conclude prior to the Passover holiday.

On Sunday, MK Benny Gantz (Blue and White) told the President that he will probably be requesting an extension to the 28-day period allotted to him to build a coalition.

The main point of contention between Blue & White and the Likud is the Likud’s demand that sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley be applied in the coming months; Gantz has so far resisted committing to this, even with US agreement.

MK Yoav Kisch (Likud), lobby chairman of the outgoing Knesset, said that the future unity government must not hesitate to seize the opportunity to make this move.

“At first, I very much supported [the idea of] an emergency government, as I think the state needs it at this time, but I realize now that this particular unity government is likely to have a long lifespan, unlike the usual case for an emergency government in which concessions are made for a short period only,” he told Arutz Sheva.

“In that case, we can’t afford to put the sovereignty issue on the back burner. Especially now, after all the progress we made with the Trump administration, we can’t just drop that because of other things that are going on, even though it’s truly a crisis situation. We could see this emerging unity government ruling the country for the next few years, and so it’s vital that the principles on which it is founded are not left wing principles.”

Reports have suggested that the Kaminetz Law, which deals with the issue of illegal construction, could be one of the things sacrificed in the coalition negotiations. “This is a very significant law,” Kisch said, “and it goes a good way to stopping illegal construction and we should certainly not jettison it now. That said, I realize that in negotiations, each side has to compromise. We could compromise on the Kaminetz law, but when it comes to the question of sovereignty, if we compromise now, future generations will not forgive us.”

Kisch threatened that if it becomes apparent that sovereignty will not be on the government's agenda, he will not support the rotation agreement between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz.

“I’m not the only person in the Likud who thinks this way,” he noted. “Others prefer to remain quiet, due to the situation. But I can’t remain quiet on a matter that affects the entire future of the country. And I think that speaking up now will bolster the Prime Minister’s resolve – he must stand behind his promises. He must continue to insist on the application of sovereignty, as an absolute condition for forming a government.”