Is Israel Heading for Elections? Netanyahu and Lapid Clash in Late Night Meeting

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netanyahu-lapid1Israel might be heading for elections sooner than expected after an explosive meeting between Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid Monday night, which was meant to address the coalition crisis threatening the fragile alliance.

Netanyahu told Lapid that he could not govern under the current reality, in which the Yesh Atid chairman and his faction members constantly criticize the government which they are members of.

The prime minister presented Lapid with five conditions for maintaining the current coalition:

-Stop undermining the government, especially over construction in Jerusalem and ties with the US.
-Transfer, as promised, NIS 6 billion to the defense budget for training and procurements, including Iron Dome and heavy APCs.
-Free up funds for the IDF’s planned relocation to southern Israel.
-Support the ‘Jewish nationhood’ bill as formulated on the principles presented by the prime minister.
-Freeze the 0% VAT proposal, instead using the NIS 3 billion previously allocated to produce real housing solutions to reduce prices.

After the meeting, Netanyahu released a statement defending his actions during the latest crisis in his administration. “The people of

Israel placed the responsibility on me, but with this coalition it is impossible to govern the country as its citizens expect. If the unprecedented conduct from some of the ministers continues, there will be no escaping from going to the polls.”

Netanyahu stressed that he was not eager to embark on an election campaign. “This is not what I would prefer, but a worse possibility is conducting a government in which the ministers sabotage its actions and policies against the interests of the public.”

The sitting prime minister, on his third term as Israel’s leader, said “dragging the country through a reality in which government ministers constantly undermine its actions is a worse alternative.”

‘Meeting just for show’

Sources in Yesh Atid were quick to accuse Netanyahu of arriving “ready to blow up the meeting.” Dubbing it a “meeting just for show,” the Yesh Atid sources asserted Netanyahu had set the meeting not intending to solve any of the issues.

The prime minister started the meeting by reading the finance minister his list of terms, they said, noting Lapid was not willing to freeze his 0% VAT flagship legislation.

“The citizens of Israel now understand the state is headed by a prime minister who backs out on the commitments he made, a prime minister who prefers his personal interests and his survival over the good of the public,” a statement issued by Yesh Atid after the meeting said.

“The prime minister’s demands of Yesh Atid expose his obvious political interests and his obligations to the members of the Likud party, to foreign interests and to politicos.

“The prime minister prefers dragging the entire country to unnecessary elections that would paralyze the economy, burden the market, stop all reforms planned to benefit Israeli citizens and deprive young couples in Israel of the opportunity to buy an apartment of their own when the 0% VAT plan goes into effect,” the party accused.

Opposition calls for elections
Coalition Chairman Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) called on Lapid to accept the conditions the prime ministers set.

“There’s no reason for Lapid’s refusal to give the IDF the minimal budget required for its regular operations, as was decided by the government, and there’s no reason for his insistence on the 0% VAT plan, which most experts believe will only benefit the contractors,” Elkin said.

“These elections are not about 0% VAT, but on whether we’ll have a Zionist or extremist state,” coalition partner Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said.

“These are elections between an Israeli-Zionist camp and extremist and dangerous elements that we need to stop from taking over the State of Israel and destroy it,” she added.

Sources from her party joined the accusations from Yesh Atid, saying the “attempt to stabilize the coalition was a bluff.”

“Netanyahu made a deal with the haredim and with (Naftali) Bennett. The entire thing was meant to cover up the deal and set the conditions for elections – a strong right wing,” the Hatnua sources said.

The head of haredi party Shas, Aryeh Deri, called for elections as soon as possible. “The citizens of Israel deserve a socially conscious government who will act for them and not against them,” Deri said.

Opposition leader Labor chairman Isaac Herzog also called for elections. “The people have no trust in this government,” he said. “We must hold elections soon and changed the regime.”

YNET NEWS

{Matzav.com Israel}


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