Shas leader encourages Gantz, Netanyahu to build ‘wide’ government

Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, on Tuesday cheered a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz, encouraging both to work to form a wide unity government.

At a pre-holiday toast in Jerusalem, Deri said that, to the best of his understanding, Netanyahu has already agreed to a possible rotating premiership deal with Gantz, but added that he didn’t know the details of the talks.

“The people want a wide government,” Deri said. “My message to the two Benjamins, Netanyahu and Gantz — I’m happy that you met at the president’s residence. Don’t pay attention to the background noise.”

Addressing Gantz, he said: “The almighty has given you an opportunity to be the leader. Don’t listen to all the people that are trying to move you from the right path.”

“Consider the good of the people and sit with Netanyahu and work out a good government for the people of Israel,” Deri said, according to the Israel Hayom daily.

Deri, a longtime Netanyahu ally, said the Blue and White party chief was worthy of the premiership, but warned him that his own associates could be working against him.

“Don’t give them your back, it’s dangerous. At their first opportunity they’ll hurt you, so stick with Netanyahu,” he said.

Blue and White and Likud hit a roadblock in talks on Tuesday, with Likud representatives saying they were discussing a unity coalition on behalf of a right-wing religious bloc, but Gantz’s envoy saying that he made clear that Blue and White was not negotiating with Netanyahu allies Shas, United Torah Judaism or Yamina.

Ultra-Orthodox members of the United Torah Judaism party have objected to joining a coalition with Blue and White’s No. 2 Yair Lapid.

Netanyahu and Gantz agreed to enter talks on a possible unity government following a meeting hosted by President Reuven Rivlin on Monday evening. Rivlin has invited the two leaders — both of whom are seeking the premiership after inconclusive results in last week’s election — to return to the President’s Residence for dinner on Wednesday. Rivlin has until October 2 to charge one of them with the task of building a majority coalition.

Rivlin was expected to propose a rotation agreement that would see the two party chiefs share the premiership, though agreement over the order of such a deal remained elusive.

As Gantz and Netanyahu met alone, Rivlin’s office said he had told Netanyahu and Gantz that Israelis do not want another election and the onus was on them to overcome the gridlock. Rivlin told Gantz and Netanyahu that as neither had secured a majority of recommendations to form the next government, he had greater leeway in whom he would task to do so.

Several Hebrew media outlets reported that Rivlin will delay tasking either Netanyahu or Gantz with forming a government until next week, a likely sign that he wants more time to push unity talks.