Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein says legal framework to reinstate the 21st Knesset exists but stresses he will not pursue move unless it is assured the support of at least 80 MKs. Likud insiders say unity government with Blue and White is an option only if faction sidelines Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid.
by Mati Tuchfeld , Gideon Allon , Yehuda Shlezinger , Israel Hayom Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and Blue and White leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid | Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon, Marc Israel Sellem
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering following a legal path that would allow for the cancellation of the Sept. election in favor of reinstating the 21st Knesset and the formation of a unity government with the Blue and White party.
Israel Hayom has learned that Likud officials have been exploring the issue but said it would require Blue and White – a union of the Israel Resilience, Yesh Atid, and Telem parties – to sideline Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and name Israel Resilience Party head Benny Gantz as the faction’s sole leader.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said Tuesday that he had discovered a legal framework by which the decision to disband the 21st Knesset, which passed a month after the Knesset was sworn in over Netanyahu’s inability to form a coalition, could be reversed.
The framework would involve the Knesset Presidium canceling the summer recess, passing a bill to cancel the parliament’s dispersal with the support of 80 MKs, and forming a wide coalition, Edelstein told Army Radio.
“The public doesn’t want another election and the Knesset’s job is to represent the public,” Edelstein said. “Holding elections, when it [the Knesset’s dissolution] could be reversed, is going against the public’s wish.”
He noted that he will not convene the Knesset Presidium until he is assured the highly unusual attempt to reinstate parliament after it has been dissolved has as wide a consensus as possible among lawmakers.
“I’m not doing this so we can form a narrow, 61-MK government,” he stressed.
Gantz denied that any negotiations with his party were taking place, tweeting, “This is another media spin. Netanyahu is afraid of the public’s verdict. Netanyahu is lying – there are no negotiations with Blue and White.”
@ Bear Klein: Bear, I am inclined to agree with your tentative prediction. Bibi in fact has made it very clear, in public, that he will be willing to form a coalition government with Blue and White either before or after the elections. The sticking point for Bibi is that he will not agree to be left out of this future government. It is Blue and White that says that they will never agree to serve in a government with Bibi. Of course, once the election is held, both sides may soften their positions.
Bibi is open to supprtinga Likud-Blue-and White Coalition, but he won’t accept the Likud’s traditional allies, the haredi parties, being excluded, and above all he won’t support any government that includes Leiberman. He will agree to Labor, maybe even Meretz, being represented in a coalition government, but not Leiberman. This is not because of any deep ideological disagreements with Leiberman, but because he thinks Leiberman deliberately lied to him, leading him to believe that he was willing to serve in a Likud and Bibi-led government, but then refusing to do so at the last minute, thereby forcing an unexpected second election. Lieberman, for his part, blames Bibi for this development, and swears he will never again serve in a government with Bibi. The severe personality conflict and mutual grudge may turn out to be the main obstacle to forming a government after the September drover election.
@ adamdalgliesh:
Still early but more likely a unity government will be needed to be able to form government. This could cause Bibi to be asked to step down as the head of the Likud. But as I said it is early.
Latest poll gives Left-Arab bloc 61 seats, even without Leiberman. Ehud Barak’s proclaimed new party gets six seats, tipping the balance in favor of Blue-White and the Left.
Don’t forget seats for the raving loony party and the rhino party. Wonder if his kids baptismal party will get.musical chairs.
How would this legally be possible since after a Knesset is dissolved it is not allowed to form new laws.