Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 19, 2021
From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 19, 2021
Smotrich appeals to Sa’ar, Bennett to join right-wing government
Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich urges Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope and Naftali Bennett’s Yamina to enter a right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
Appealing to Sa’ar, he says: “I pledge to stand to your right and work together for Israel’s citizens.”
He also accuses Bennett of “sitting on the fence and waiting for Netanyahu to fail [to form a government] in order to establish a government with Lapid, Labor and Meretz.”
Head of the Religious Zionism party Bezalel Smotrich gives a press statement in the Knesset, in Jerusalem, April 4, 2021. (Olivier FItoussi/Flash90)
Smotrich again rules out a right-wing government backed by the Islamist Ra’am.
He makes the comments at the Knesset.
Sa’ar has ruled out joining a government led by Netanyahu. Yamina is in talks with Netanyahu on joining a coalition, but such a government would still require the backing of Ra’am and Smotrich.
