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Bennett Announces He Will Join Lapid in Unity Government
This combination of pictures taken on May 5, 2021 shows (L to R) leader of Israel's Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid, and leader of the Yamina party Naftali Bennett, arriving at the Israeli President's Residence in Jerusalem. (Oren Ben Hakoon/AFP via Getty Images)

Bennett Announces He Will Join Lapid in Unity Government

Israel’s Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett in a nationally televised address announced that he will join forces with centrist Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid to form a unity government that would oust Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from power.

“Yair and I disagree on a number of issues of substance. But we are partners in our love for the country and willingness to work for the sake of the country,” Bennett said in his announcement on Sunday night. Earlier in the day he had received the endorsement of most of his party’s lawmakers to pursue the so called “change” government.

“The only options are a unity government or elections. Those saying a right-wing government is possible are lying,” Bennett said.

Coalition talks between Yesh Atid and Yamina reportedly convened shortly after the announcement.

Lapid has until Wednesday evening to tell President Reuven Rivlin that he has formed a government, or return the mandate. Rivlin could then give lawmakers two weeks to form a government coalition or call for new elections, the fifth in just over two years.

In a televised rebuttal to Bennett, Netanyahu accused him of committing “the fraud of the century,” and of following his own political interests. Netanyahu asserted that, with Bennett’s support, it would have been possible to form a full right-wing government. He said he believes that members of Bennett’s party, and that of Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party, the other right-wing party joining the change bloc, would defect to a Netanyahu-led right-wing government if given the chance after Wednesday.

 

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