Quote of the Day

In our meetings with Mr Netanyahu, and I say it here as well, the Likud can count the fingers of the Yamina party for establishing a right wing coalition.

  -- MK Naftali Bennett

1. it sounds like a very simple and straightforward statement. maybe it is as simple as it sounds. Bennett is now rejecting a coalition with Lapid and others from the center-left and will only join a Netanyahu led coalition. It also sounds like Bennett is no longer demanding a rotation arrangement, but perhaps that is still up to negotiation.

2. or maybe it is not as simple as it sounds. Even with Bennett and Yamina, Netanyahu does not have a right wing coalition. He will still have to persuade Gideon Saar and Tikva Chadasha to join to have a real right wing government. Maybe Bennett knows this is not going to happen. Relying on the Arab party Raam might push Smotritch out, and also might be enough reason to allow Bennett to also say this is not a right wing government so I am not in. If this is Bennett's intention, his statement today was just to set up Netanyahu for failure and to be able to deflect blame away from himself for a right wing government not being formed. 

I personally believe the 2nd seems more likely to me. I truly believe Bennett wants a full blown right wing government, but I think he sees that it almost definitely can't happen, and he would really prefer it without Netanyahu at the helm. If there is not going to be a full blown right wing government anyway, might as well let Netanyahu (and/or Saar, and/or Smotritch) take the fall for it instead of himself.

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