In an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva, Atty MK Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionist Party accused the incoming national unity government being formed in a dishonest fashion, accusing the coalition's right-wing partners of violating promises to their voters.
“First we need to talk about the fact that it’s based on a lie. When you base something on a lie, it can never stand,” said Rothman, referring to promises by right wing political leaders not to join a left wing government.
“We have a very clear promise by Bennett and also by Sa’ar not to join with the terror supporting party of Ra’am (United Arab List) into the government and we see that they broke this promise,” he said.
The right wing parties also went back on their pledge not to join a government headed by Lapid, Rothman said.
“Once you build something on a lie you can never trust anything these people are promising or saying in the political arena.”
Rothman added, “People tend to forget major issues in Israel, when you talk about religion and state, when you talk about almost any issue… the policy is being made by the unelected officials (of the courts). Sadly, the job of the elected officials in the government is to block this continuous effort to change the status quo in Israel by the unelected officials.”
He was also worried about the fact that the extreme left is part of the government, not just the moderate left or center-left – the Supreme Court decisions on issues such as settlements that would have been opposed by a right or center-right government will no longer have any stumbling blocks.
“Once the government is formed by a majority of the left, especially the extreme left like Meretz, Labor and also the Arab part of Ra’am, the terror supporters, you can’t bock whatever the Supreme Court throws in your way,” he said.
It will not matter if Gideon Sa’ar is Justice Minister. If the Supreme Court says certain settlements need to be demolished, “action by the government (is needed) to stop it.” These actions won’t happen with the current government.
“You can’t (make settlements) legal in this government. They will block it,” Rothman said.
Rothman also touched on the subject of the Right protesting in the streets against left-wing policies.
He was in a demonstration near Ayelet Shaked’s house last Thursday. “It’s starting. But I think the majority of the right is thinking ‘Oh, it won’t be that terrible.’”
“The Right is usually optimistic in Israel. So we believe nothing bad will happen," he said. “And I really hope I’m wrong and this government will be good for Israel but it doesn’t look like it.”
Rothman predicts within months, and especially in the next few years, settlements will be ordered demolished by the Supreme Court.
“We paid the price for the bad government we had between 2013 and 2015 when the answers to the Supreme Court were not good. We saw the outcome years after. It’s the long-term that matters and we won’t be able to see the dangers immediately,” he said.
He added that a strong opposition is needed to “put the spotlight on those issues.”