Assessing the future of the current government, coalition chair MK Idit Silman (Yamina) insists that it has a good chance of living out its term in office, provided that it adheres to right-wing values and to the ideology underpinning its formation.
Speaking on Kan 11, Silman discussed, among other things, the controversial Citizenship Law which was only recently passed after prolonged difficulties. "The members of this coalition do not remain silent when someone does something they consider to be wrong," Silman said. "At the end of the day, we are doing what is right for the State of Israel."
A year has now passed since Israel's most recent elections, but the anger among many of the Yamina party's voters at the party's decision to join the current government has yet to abate.
"I think the general public is very often right, and we should be listening to what people are saying," Silman said. "I came into politics in order to represent the right-wing public. It's true that we made certain promises, and we also made a definitive statement that we would not take the country into a fifth round of elections -- and also that we would not hand the country and Arab-left-wing government. We identified the possibility of a different alternative, one that is being constantly challenged."
The interview with Silman took place at the City of David National Park where, in ancient times, the last remaining Jews hid out following the rebellion after the destruction of the Second Temple. "If we look at the Jewish People in general, most of them weren't here [rebelling against the leadership of the time]," Silman said. "These were a minority, and it is our task to ensure that their voice is not the one to dominate the discourse."
With regard to another contentious issue that also divides the current coalition - that of the Western Wall Compromise that would grant Reform and Conservative groups legitimacy at Judaism's most holy site - Silman said that in her opinion, the aim of the current government is to maintain the Orthodox character of the Kotel Hama'aravi, adding that she, personally, will not vote in favor of the Compromise plan.