Emergency gov’t on the way? Gantz, Lapid negotiating with Netanyahu

“Unity and cohesion are the call of the hour, in order to beat our enemies,” Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) said.

By World Israel News Staff

Opposition lawmakers Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and Benny Gantz (National Camp) are currently deep in talks with negotiators acting on behalf of the Likud party, following public statements that the two politicians are willing to join an emergency government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“At this time, when the best of our sons and daughters are enlisting in the reserves, when we are eulogizing hundreds of dead, when we are all praying for the well-being of thousands of wounded, kidnapped, and missing, we must take responsibility and enlist as leaders as well,” Gantz said in a televised statement on Sunday evening.

“If we are given a real opportunity to influence and participate in the management of the war, we will be there until the end.”

According to Hebrew-language media reports, both the opposition and coalition parties agree that the broad government will be valid only for the duration of the war, and will not include the redistribution of ministerial portfolios.

However, Walla reported, Gantz’s party is likely to demand veto powers regrading decisions for the war, in exchange for their support.

Religious Zionism chair and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich expressed support for a broad unity government in a media statement.

“Unity and cohesion are the call of the hour, in order to beat our enemies,” Smotrich said.

“I call upon Prime Minister Netanyahu and upon Benny Gantz to rise up to the need of the hour, and to meet immediately and agree to establish an nationalist emergency government which will unify the nation, raise our spirits, and provide full support to the IDF and bring, with God’s help, to the absolute destruction of Hamas and the terror organizations in Gaza.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir backed up Smotrich’s sentiments.

“So long as the basis for joining the government is the goal that the government will tell the army to completely overtake and wipe out Hamas’ military and government forces, Otzma Yehudit will happily accept a broad emergency government such as this one,” Ben-Gvir said.

“Israel is in a state of emergency. We must unite and win.”