Israeli ministers: Israel is going for elections

After the Israeli war on Gaza and attempts by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to market his defeat as a victory on the Israelis, the political sphere in Israel has turned ambiguous.

During the last week a number of Israeli ministers either clearly said or hinted that Israel is going for early elections after the Israeli feasts.

Before the party’s conference on Sunday Naftali Bennett, head of the Israeli party Jewish Home, held a special meeting for some 30 activists to persuade them to approve a constitution and a new term for him in his position in the party.

When asked about the reason for the hasty measures, Bennett said that the issue must be decided quickly because Israel is going to the ballot boxes after the Jewish feasts.

This week Netanyahu met with Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Litzman of the United Torah and both sides considered the meeting successful.

Gafni said the meeting was not about the new tax law or the current government coalition, but it was about the would-be coalition after the upcoming elections. He said that Netanyahu directly asked them whether they would support him for Prime Minister in the coming elections. Gafni said they would consult their rabbis.

During the Israeli war on Gaza Hatuna party threatened to withdraw from the coalition if it would not accept the judaisation law drafted by Tzipi Livni. Netanyahu, Bennett and Livni agreed on passing it in the government last Sunday.

The meeting was cancelled because of a difference between Netanyahu and his Financial Minister Yair Labid on the budget, according to Labid’s aids.

Government sources said on Friday that the reason behind Yair’s refusal to approve the budget was his desire to go for elections soon. He believes he is in the strongest position on the political scene and would be able to obtain the best results in the elections.