Amichai Chikli
Amichai ChikliYonatan Sindel/Flash90

MK Amichai Chikli, who was declared a renegade from the Yamina party, claimed Monday morning that Minister of Interior Ayelet Shaked (Yamina) is the one working to protect the Bennett-Lapid government.

Chikli told Galey Israel Radio: "The one who holds this fortress in the strongest way, the one who is fighting for this government, is Ayelet Shaked. She is the one who is leading the rescue battle for Naftali Bennett. I say this with .certainty."

Regarding the decision to declare him a renegade, Chikli said: "As a citizen and as a Zionist – there is no atonement or forgiveness for what, in the name of lust for power, these people are willing to do to the State of Israel, even though they know that most people in the national camp see one person as the leader of the national camp. It is inconceivable how far they are willing to go for power."

Chikli revealed an agreement with Abir Kara, the deputy minister of Yamina, in which Kara would resign from the coalition in the manner of Idit Silman, but in the end, Kara reneged.

"Abir Kara is at a strategic crossroads from his perspective. We were in fact very close to a conclusive agreement last week, there was even an agreement reached during this Shabbat which I will not discuss - but he decided to renege and bolster Bennett's position for the final battle," Chikli claimed.

"I explained the rationale to Abir: This government has ended its path. The question is whether it will continue to breathe with the help of Ahmad Tibi or we will lay this government to rest and bring in more people. Apparently, he did not have the psychological strength to go for it."

MK David Bitan (Likud) spoke about the behind-the-scenes efforts to bring in more defectors from the current government. In an interview with 103 FM, Bitan was asked if there is another member of Knesset from the coalition who is on his way to the Likud. Bitan responded: “At this moment, no, because Shaked has performed a type of maneuver in which she united the three in Yamina and is not letting anyone pass. We cannot guarantee a position for 5 members of Yamina [in the Likud]. That is not reasonable."

According to Bitan: “The elections will come early. We do not need to bring anyone in now. They will not last long in this situation, the business will fall apart. People will not be able to live in this situation of 60-60."

By Bitan’s estimates, the government will fall in about two months: ''There's the one-month recess, after which I give them another month or a month and a half and they will fall. The fact that they will last a little longer is no longer relevant. This is not a government, it will not be able to legislate, it will not be able to do things, it will not do anything. They have shown that they are willing to do anything to extend the time of this government, but that is not the case, and they should already admit it, give up, and go to elections."