Bennett backs early election
Likud, Blue and White to join forces to stymie probes
After months of saying it would be wrong to hold yet another premature election, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett declared for the first time during the current Knesset tenure on Tuesday that he favors going to the polls early.
Sources close to Bennett said the reason for his change of heart was that he felt that with the end of lockdown, it would be possible to hold an election and that it had nothing to do with recent favorable opinion polls, including Sunday’s Channel 13 survey that found Yamina trails Likud by only three seats and could form a government without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party.
“Until recently, I opposed elections,” Bennett told Army Radio. “But now, when the government is so incapable of functioning, it is the preferable option. I have given up hope that this government will be able to lead us.”
Bennett also made a controversial statement in the interview that could lose him the backing of new supporters. He said that while he wants to reach out to the LGBT community, he would not favor enacting legislation that it has called for, such as recognizing same- sex marriage, or allowing gay male couples to adopt children.
The possibility of early elections has also increased because of a dispute between Likud and Blue and White over the timetable for the 2021 state budget. Finance Minister Israel Katz reiterated on Tuesday that he would not bow to Blue and White’s demand to pass the 2021 budget by the end of the year.
“It will take until the middle of February to pass it into law,” Katz said.
Blue and White reacted on
Twitter and said that failure to pass the 2021 budget by the end of the year would result in the lowering of Israel’s international credit rating and would cause irrevocable damage to the economy.
“This government cannot continue without a budget,” said MK Zvi Hauser ( Derech Eretz), who initiated a compromise last time Likud and Blue and White fought over
having friendly, peaceful, normal relations. Ultimately, it will be so much better working together as friends.”
Netanyahu spoke of the spirit of “Abraham, Avraham, Ibrahim,” saying that the Biblical Patriarch’s name in English, Hebrew and Arabic was behind the agreements.
Business ties between Israel and the UAE’s “many, many talented entrepreneurs will benefit peace,” he added, in what was the theme of all the remarks made at the ceremony.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the Abraham Accords mark “direct economic ties between two of the Middle East’s most thriving, advanced economies.
“With greater economic prosperity comes stronger security,” Mnuchin added. “The US, Israel and the UAE share a similar outlook regarding threats and opportunities in the region.”
Tayer said he was honored to lead the UAE’s first government delegation to Israel, which would “deepen bilateral understanding, capitalizing on both countries’ leadership and the great opportunities ahead.”
Touting the UAE’s economic advancement and the importance of the agreements signed with Israel, Tayer said the Abraham Accords will “achieve prosperity and growth for our economies and our people.”
Mnuchin, Boehler and US special representative for international negotiations Avi Berkowitz flew with the UAE delegation from Abu Dhabi to Israel.
Berkowitz tweeted a photo of his boarding pass, as well as Etihad Airways Captain Naeem Alameri, the pilot, saying that “this is a historical movement for the UAE country and Israel, and we are looking forward to salaam” – the Arabic word for peace – “in the future.”
President Reuven Rivlin praised the events, tweeting that “the agreements signed today with UAE ministers are the dawning of a new era of peace in the Middle East. Inshallah” – meaning “God willing” in Arabic – “more will follow and we will live in peace and cooperation with all our neighbors. Welcome to Israel!”
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