Netanyahu to Shaked, other Yamina MKs: ‘Do the right thing,’ oppose unity gov’t

Prime Minister Netanyahu is once again lashing out at his right-wing rival Naftali Bennett, as he tries to prevent the Yamina leader from forming a unity government with Yesh Atid chief Yair Lapid after failing in his own effort to assemble a coalition.

“Naftali Bennett is trying to hide the truth. This will be a left-wing government, a weak government that lowers its head in the face on international pressure,” Netanyahu tells a faction meeting of Likud lawmakers.

He goes on to praise Yamina MK Amichai Chikli, who has come out against the prospective government that Bennett and Lapid are seeking to form, calling him “brave” and a “man with values.”

“Just as MK Chikli did the right thing, Ayelet Shaked and other Yamina members can and need to do the right thing and not join this dangerous left-wing government,” Netanyahu says.

The speech comes after several Yamina MKs said they turned down offers from Likud to defect, claims denied by Netanyahu’s party.