Yifat Shasha Biton
Yifat Shasha BitonHezki Baruch

MK Yifat Shasha Biton insisted on Saturday night that Gideon Sa’ar’s new party is a governmental alternative for the State of Israel and stressed that there is no chance that the members of the party will sit in a government headed by Binyamin Netanyahu.

"We will not sit under Binyamin Netanyahu," said Shasha Biton in an interview on Channel 12 News, her first since her announcement that she will be joining Sa’ar. "This is not about Netanyahu as an individual. The story is about the way that Netanyahu is leading the country. Does this come from a place of anyone but Bibi? The answer is no. This comes from a place where the State of Israel wants change."

Asked who else will join Gideon Sa’ar's party after Ze’ev Elkin, she replied, "I can tell you that there are quite a few other valuable people within the Likud who I would be happy to see join our ranks. We are in dialogue with Gadi Eizenkot, he was a good chief of staff, he is worthy. We would be very happy if he joined our ranks."

Shasha Biton avoided replying directly to questions on issues such as sovereignty and said, "My positions at the moment are to focus on what is happening in the country. Whoever wants a center-right party that unites the State of Israel, which knows how to maintain the security of the State of Israel, will unequivocally vote for us."

She also commented on issues such as the study of core subjects among the haredim ("a very important issue"), closing supermarkets on Shabbat ("it will not happen"), civil marriage ("a response should be provided for those who are interested") and surrogacy for the LGBT community ("they deserve it"). On the issue of the so-called “Overrule Clause” (overriding the Supreme Court's knocking down of a law passed in the Knesset -ed.), Shasha Biton said that they are "in favor".