Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked called on the public not to believe Prime Minister Netanyahu's "spins" in an interview at Arutz Sheva's Jerusalem studio Thursday.
"A vote for the Likud or Lapid means a fifth election. Only a vote for Yamina will allow the formation of a stable right-wing government," Shaked says.
When asked if her party would indeed be able to place is chairman, Naftali Bennett, as prime minister with polls showing Yamina winning just 10-12 seats she replies: "We have chosen, after careful consideration, to be the only adult in the room and not bind ourselves to any commitment, so we will make every effort to force the formation of a right-wing government. There are 80 seats for the right and 30 seats for the left. We will not sit under Lapid as prime minister, but there is no reason why a government should not be formed in Israel."
Shaked states that "Netanyahu has no problem going to a fifth election. It does not stop him from continuing to be prime minister, but the state needs a government and a budget to do some important things. We have three main tasks when we enter the next government and we will do all of them upon its formation - lowering taxes, regulating the young settlements, putting an end to lawlessness in the Negev. Residents live in the Negev under terror and fear and for us these are the three main missions."
Is it possible to promote the regulation of of the young settlements in a government of which Yair Lapid is a member? "The regulation can be done in any government that is formed with a right-wing majority. To do that, we need a determined prime minister who will bring the government decision and pass it by a majority and every government we make will have a right-wing majority."
Does this mean that the party is giving up on the idea of prime minister Naftali Bennett? Shaked replies in the negative and says that it depends on the number of seats the party will achieve in the election.
However, she calls on voters, "Do not listen to Netanyahu's false spin. It is intended, as always, to weaken Yamina in the final days, and in the end, as always, he will form governments with the left. He did this to Ketzele and Uri Ariel in 2009 when he threw them into the opposition and brought in Ehud Barak, he did it with Livni and Shelly Yachimovich in 2013, he tried to do it in 2015 with Bougie Herzog and did it in 2020 with Gantz, Nissenkorn and Amir Peretz and he left Yamina in the opposition. Do not listen to his spins and lies."
On the impact of these spins, Shaked says that "the latest poll shows a decline in the number of mandates. He is investing all his strength and all the Likud's money in the war on Yamina. I call on people not to buy this look he puts on in all election campaigns and then in the end he goes with the left. If Yair Lapid decides to go with Netanyahu, he will receive up to half the kingdom."
Addressing Bennett's pledge to work to bring Gideon Sa'ar into a government together with Netanyahu, Shaked says: "There is currently no dialogue with any party. The talks will be held after the election, when we will see the results." To this she adds that only with a large Yamina will a government be formed and otherwise the political situation will degenerate into yet another round of elections.