Miki Zohar
Miki ZoharTomer Neuberg/Flash90

Likud MK Miki Zohar has estimated that the progress in negotiations with the Religious Zionism party will lead to the breakthrough and allow a new government to be formed.

Speaking in an interview with 103 FM Radio, Zohar said that a coalition agreement "is still not about to be signed, but the direction is positive. Some of the partners, who have made it a bit more difficult, understand that there is no option other than to form a government, and that every day that passes is a day the outgoing government is still in office and acting with underhanded opportunism. I hope that today, no more new conditions or demands will be raised, beyond what we already know has been agreed. We want to complete the negotiations this week, so that next week we can form the government. [MK] Yariv Levin (Likud) is working on this intensively and additional hours, and we should praise him."

"If you think it is easy to form a government - people, a bit of proportion," he added. "It's not news that [Prime Minister-designate Benjamin] Netanyahu is a careful and very responsible leader. You know that sometimes they try to pull him in one direcftion and he does not automatically go blindly, he has a broader perspective than others."

Zohar added that both Religious Zionism chief MK Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit chief MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who are often portrayed as careless, "are very careful and understand that there is great responsibility here, including to the country."

"Not always will the entire ideology be fulfilled, but we do intend to implement a right-wing policy in the next government, govern, take actions that the public expects us to take. We do not intend to bow our heads before the left or before the media or other sources."