Far-right minister Sofer signals backing for unity government, Ben Gvir opposes
Lapid ‘wants to drag Israel and Netanyahu into complete surrender,’ argues Ben Gvir, rejecting opposition leader’s possible inclusion in coalition as ‘a prize for Yahya Sinwar’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Immigration and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer of the far-right Religious Zionism party appeared to endorse a unity government on Tuesday morning, less than a day after President Isaac Herzog called on politicians to put aside their differences for the sake of the hostages.
Speaking at a state ceremony honoring Prisoners of Zion, Sofer declared that due to the challenges posed by the current conflict, “we will be required to make dramatic decisions for Israel,” asserting that now is “the time to join forces and know how to act together.”
Sofer’s pronouncement stood at odds with that of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, which lashed out last night at Herzog for his declaration that “the political system must come together with all its might” for the release of the hostages.
In a statement, Otzma Yehudit — which like Religious Zionism, has come out against a deal — argued that Herzog’s statement “is an irresponsible call that collaborates with Hamas propaganda and the blood libel of the extreme left.”
According to Channel 12, Herzog has been holding talks with politicians on both sides of the aisle to push for unity. The network also quoted an official from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party as stating that “there is a will and there is support for a unity government.”
The call for unity also resonated with MK Matan Kahana of the centrist National Unity party, who told the network that “what Israel needs now is a broad unity government that relies on the Zionist and moderate forces in Israeli society.”
So far, it does not appear as if efforts to bridge the gaps between the coalition and the opposition are bearing fruit.
According to Channel 12, alleged discussions aimed at having New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar return to Netanyahu’s coalition reportedly broke down last month after the premier’s wife and advisers indicated that they would not trust the hawkish former Likud politician as defense minister.
Asked about media reports that Shas is pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring opposition parties into the coalition to dilute the influence of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid told reporters in the Knesset yesterday that he had not received any call from party chairman Aryeh Deri.
If Deri were serious, “he would have picked up the phone,” Lapid said, less than a month after he was reported to have met with him to discuss steps to combat Ben Gvir’s push for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.
Asked if he would consider entering the government, Lapid recalled offering to enter the government in place of Netanyahu’s far-right allies following October 7, and reiterated his previous proposal to provide a “safety net” to the government by replacing Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich if they leave the government in order to prevent a hostage deal.
Lapid continued in this vein on Tuesday, releasing a statement denying that any contacts had been made regarding his entrance into the government.
“I see that a lot of people talked to me about a unity government precisely when I wasn’t in the room,” Lapid said. “These are the facts: I offered Netanyahu a national unity government as early as October 7. He didn’t want it. Since then I have repeatedly offered him a safety net to make a hostage deal. He expressed no interest.”
“Someday the citizens of Israel will have to recognize that Ben Gvir and Smotrich were not forced upon him. This is the government he wants, these are the partners he wants.”
In response, Ben Gvir declared that “Lapid is hindering the fighters from winning, he wants to drag the country and Prime Minister Netanyahu into complete surrender in the war.”
Lapid’s inclusion in a unity government would be “a prize for [Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar,” and would amount to “raising the white flag” in the war against Hamas, he said.
Lapid then hit back, charging that nobody has “weakened the State of Israel more than Ben Gvir and the government of extremists.”
“It’s no coincidence that Hamas attacked when he was the National Security Minister,” Lapid said of the ultranationalist lawmaker. “Our enemies look at him and understand that he has weakened the police, weakened the border police, weakened our ability to attack Hamas and Hezbollah.”
“Ben Gvir = weak,” adds the Yesh Atid leader.
