Gideon Sa’ar, the head of the right-wing New Hope party, is weighing the option of signing a deal for a power-sharing government in which he goes first as prime minister, followed by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Haaretz daily reports.
The report says Sa’ar has softened his objection to any political cooperation with Netanyahu after Yamina leader Naftali Bennett last week backed down from efforts to form a government that would replace the incumbent premier.
The negotiations are said to be mediated by Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich.
If confirmed, the development is a major shift for Sa’ar, who ran in the election on a staunchly anti-Netanyahu ticket.
New Hope sources deny the report, saying they’re “unaware” of any such offer by Smotrich.
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