Likud slams Bennett for trying to form ‘left-wing’ government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party renews its media campaign against Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett, after the latter released a statement keeping the door open to joining a government that would oust the incumbent premier from power.

“The next government will have to deal with immense challenges — Hamas, Iran, international pressure to uproot communities, defending our soldiers and commanders from the International Criminal Court and stopping the riots in the country,” Likud says.

“Only a right-wing government headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu can successfully deal with all those challenges, and not a left-wing government that depends on the Joint List and where [Meretz leader] Nitzan Horowitz, [Meretz MK] Tamar Zandberg and [Labor chief] Merav Michaeli sit in the security cabinet,” the party says, referring to a proposed right-center-left “change government.”

“There are politicians who speak right but act left,” Likud says, alluding to Bennett. “While they publish posts and articles that are allegedly ‘right-wing’… they continue trying to form a government that would depend on the Joint List and the left-wing parties of Lapid, Meretz and Labor.”

“It is time they clearly say they won’t join such a government, and that they will join a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu.”

Bennett had tried to form a government with Netanyahu, but the premier failed to recruit a parliamentary majority.