Israeli minister urges Likud to end attacks on Yamina, focus on Gantz

Israeli defence minister Naftali Bennett and Yamina party chair has reportedly reached out to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek an end to fighting between his right-wing faction and Likud.

According to Arutz Sheva, citing a report on Kan 11 News, an associate of Netanyahu said Sunday that Bennett had conveyed to Netanyahu’s aides a desire to end the mutual exchange of attacks, in order that both can focus on the Benny Gantz-headed Blue and White party.

The report added that, in response, Likud officials have agreed to focus on Blue and White.

Last week, Arutz Sheva added, Likud “sharply attacked Bennett and the Yamina party and Minister Yoav Galant personally attacked Bennett and criticized him several times”.

Yamina had chosen “not to confront the Likud over the continued attacks but hinted that if the attacks continued, that position might change”, Arutz Sheva noted.

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On Sunday, Likud Minister Ze’ev Elkin criticised efforts by Netanyahu in the last election to attack the right-wing parties in a bid to draw votes to the Likud.

“It’s disrespect to a large public that is not dumb and we cannot take their votes. At the end of the day, people analyse the situation and decide who to vote for”.

“It is important that the main effort is not in the form of reciprocal attacks, but in how to bring to the polls people who think right so that they also vote for the right”, Elkin added.

According to Elkin, the main effort “should be toward a victory of the right”, and “to get the right-wing public out of its apathy”.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Yamina, Shas, and United Torah Judaism, co-signed a letter of support to Netanyahu on Sunday, expressing commitment to forming a coalition government with Likud.

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