Yair Lapid, leader of the “There is a Future” party, succeeded in the last moments before the deadline for his mandate to form a government, announcing that he was able to obtain the approval of Israeli parties representing a majority in the Knesset, and they signed a document informing the Israeli president Reuven Rivlin agreed to join a government whose prime minister will rotate first, Naftali Bennett, Yamina leader, for two years, with Lapid, who was tasked with forming it 28 days ago, who will serve in the same position for two years.
Lapid called Rivlin and informed him of the decision half an hour before the deadline expired, while the latter congratulated him on his success and called on him to quickly set a Knesset session in order to give the government confidence as soon as possible.
Lapid also informed the current Likud Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin of his success in forming a government, asking him to invite the Knesset as soon as possible to give the government confidence.
The Change Bloc parties that entered into Lapid’s government described what happened as a “historic step,” while Knesset members from Likud, right-wing religious parties and the Haredim attacked Bennett and Sa’ar against the background of their participation in a government described by them as “leftist.”
And in the event that the government is formed permanently after obtaining confidence from the Knesset, this means the overthrow of the rule of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud leader, after 12 years in his position as prime minister in a row.
This will be the first Israeli government to witness the joining of an Arab party, after the United Arab List party led by Mansour Abbas signed the aforementioned document, in a move described as “historic.”
Many of the Hebrew media focused on a leaked image of the signature of Mansour Abbas, whose party bears an Islamic character and represents the Islamic Movement - the southern branch - in the occupied interior.
The success of Lapid´s efforts was announced, after very difficult and arduous negotiations that he led with Bennett at first, before he moved to the parties described as the "Change Camp," including the New Hope parties led by Gideon Sa´ar, Blue and White led by Benny Gantz, and Yisrael Beiteinu led by Avigdor Lieberman. and Labor led by Merav Michaeli, and Meretz led by Nitzan Horowitz, in addition to the United Arab List.
Negotiations between the Change Bloc parties witnessed many disagreements, which would have killed their hopes of overthrowing Netanyahu´s rule.
The Yamina parties led by Naftali Bennett and New Hope led by Gideon Sa´ar, shortly before the deadline for Lapid´s mandate expired, signed a document in which they supported the formation of the government, which allowed it to obtain a majority.
The last moments witnessed disagreements over the committee to appoint judges, as it was demanding the pole, Ayelet Shaked, Bennett´s ally, to take over the chairmanship of the committee instead of Merav Michaeli, the leader of the Labor Party, who rejected until the last moments a proposal to rotate the chair of the committee and that Shaked be the first, and it was to demand that she be The first is that it made many concessions during the negotiations that took place.
Previously, the leader of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, signed a document supporting the notification of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin of his party’s decision to support the formation of the government led by Bennett and Lapid, after agreeing on many points of contention between them, provided that negotiations will be completed later, after the formation of the government in relation to the “Kementz Law.” Which was approved in 2017 by the Knesset regarding the demolition of homes for Palestinians inside, and a claim regarding the Negev and unrecognized villages.
According to the Hebrew Reshet Kan channel, Abbas threatened that if solutions to these differences were not found after the formation of the government, he would work to bring them down by not voting on the state budget.
After signing the document, Abbas said that the decision that was taken was difficult, and that decisive action will be taken to make the government formation step a success, noting that it was agreed on many issues that concern the Arab community.
He indicated that his party does not prefer a fifth election, and that is why it has become the only Arab party to participate in forming an Israeli government.
The Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz, Labor led by Merav Michaeli, and Yisrael Beiteinu led by Avigdor Lieberman signed a similar document in support of forming a government, after agreeing on all contentious issues, including the distribution of portfolios.
Negotiations almost erupted again between the Yamina party on the one hand and the “There is a Future” party on the other, in light of Shaked’s insistence on taking over the chairmanship of the Judges Appointments Committee, in addition to differences with Mansour Abbas, which prompted Lapid to invite both Bennett and Abbas And Michaeli to the headquarters of the negotiating teams´ sessions in the Kfar Maccabiah resort in Ramat Gan, with the aim of bringing the views closer.
Sources in the so-called Change bloc had earlier expressed optimism about the success of the efforts in the last moments before the mandate expired.
Lapid informs Rivlin of his success in forming a new government with the participation of the first Arab party and a right-wing alliance
