The Netanyahu family no longer feels the same antipathy to Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked that it once did, asserts Likud MK David Bitan,
Speaking on Radio 103FM on Thursday morning, Bitan related that there had been a "handshake between Shaked and Sara Netanyahu yesterday, and since then, the Netanyahu family is ready to embrace her."
Qualifying his words, Bitan added, "With respect to the Likud party itself, Ayelet has no future in it for the time being, but we can cooperate. The main thing is that Netanyahu realizes that this is vital if we want to make any progress."
With reports emerging that the Likud party has offered Yamina MK Nir Orbach a guaranteed spot on the Likud slate in the next elections, Bitan was asked for his opinion and expressed himself in favor of extending the offer to both Orbach and his fellow Yamina MK Idit Silman.
"Because there's a good chance that we will soon be headed to elections," he noted. "There isn't really another option, as I see it. We have to make this offer to them, but I would add that I think [Religious Zionism party head Bezalel] Smotrich should also make a similar offer. If we have to give something up, so should he.
"And I am in favor of going to elections, and opposed to forming a new government in the current Knesset," he clarified. "We have a golden opportunity now to reach 61 seats, but if we form an alternative coalition with what he have now, we're not going to achieve that."
Bitan added that he was "confident that we'll manage to topple the government before the summer recess, in which case elections will be in October or November."
Asked whether he thought the current government had a chance of being able to pass a budget, he replied, "What, are you crazy?"
Right-wing Knesset members in the opposition have come under fire from right-wing coalition members for voting against the Judea & Samaria law, legislation that has been described as essential for enabling the functioning of daily life over the Green Line, but Bitan shrugged off the criticism.
"I'm at peace with what we did," he said. "I don't see a problem with it. You go and poll the people of Judea and Samaria and see what they say. You'll find that they support us on this issue. They hate this government so much that they're ready to risk the possible consequences in order to see the government fall."
Meanwhile, according to a report on Channel 12, MK Idit Silman, who is currently chairing the Knesset's Health Committee, has threatened MK Nir Orbach to release damaging information on him, if he takes any steps to having her declared a defector, which would limit her options with regard to running with a different political party in the next elections.
"I thought it a good idea to make sure Nir knows what I have on him," Silman said. "All the files, all the documents from the Bayit Yehudi party... And there are people who can bring me more," she added. "If any of this comes to light, it's the end for him.
"I'm not going to keep quiet on this," she added. "If Nir moves to eject me from the party, I'm going to go public with everything. I have no interest in getting into all that if I don't have to, and I'm not saying a word against Nir for the time being, but that's only as long as he doesn't start a process against me."
Silman has denied the report, stating that, "No such words were spoken. Nir and I have always been good friends and we remain so."
As for Orbach, he responded that, "All matters related to the Bayit Yehudi party are being checked out, along with the complaints that were submitted, and the state comptroller is also involved. There's no new development here and therefore nothing of concern. Anyone who says otherwise is talking nonsense."