Netanyahu, Bennett Score Progress in ’Israeli’ Gov’t Talks

By Staff, Agencies 

Talks between “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and head of “Yamina” Naftali Bennett were described as “positive,” but a solution to reach 61 Knesset seats was still far from reach.”

According to “Israel Hayom” daily, Netanyahu’s Likud party believes that persuading Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich to join a government leaning on Islamist Ra’am party votes is the safest bet to form a coalition.

All other routes have been exhausted as Gideon Sa’ar, head of New Hope, “is deep in his revenge campaign,” anonymous Likud sources were quotes as saying in the report.

“We can offer him anything other than a rotation [deal] -- every possible post, including a return to the Likud. [But] nothing interests him,” the sources added.

Efforts to attract any so-called “defectors” from other parties, such as Blue and White, were fruitless, the report added.