Yamina chairman to announce intention to replace Netanyahu as
PM, but will not pledge to not sit in Netanyahu-led government.
Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett is expected to announce that he is running for prime minister with the aim of replacing incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
After the Knesset officially dissolves tonight and a date is set for the election, Bennett will announce his candidacy for prime minister, but unlike Gideon Sa’ar, Bennett will not pledge not to join a Netanyahu-led government.
The Yamina chairman is expected to sharply attack the prime minister on his handling of the coronavirus crisis. He will also mention Netanyahu’s plethora of promises to apply sovereignty and reform the justice system, promises that have gone unfulfilled following the most recent elections.
Yesterday, Bennett presented the no-confidence motion submitted by the Yamina faction, and attacked the conduct of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gantz. “Mr. Netanyahu, this opaque government must not last even one minute. You should be replaced, not extended. We will not take part in any egotistical exercise in your selfish government.”
“In the most difficult moment, the ordinary citizen hears how Netanyahu and Gantz sting each other and feels like he is living in a movie. We are all living in a nightmare movie that led us to this. Never in the history of the country has there been such an egotistical, such a failed, such a conflicted government that does not care much about the people.”
Bennett said: ”Suggestions keep flowing to me all the time: ‘Come, join the government, take any ministers you want.’ We will not join because you need to be replaced. And one last point – the deeper problem will need to be solved. The people have lost faith, not only in the government but also in the state institutions. Because you all, and especially you, Mr. Prime Minister, are supposed to represent the state, the institutions of the state. You are not telling the truth.”
”We can do much better than this government. I urge both members of the coalition and the opposition – do not let this terrible government live even one minute more. We need a new path,” said the Yamina chairman.
(Arutz 7).