Likud member: Netanyahu government will not last long

A senior official in the Israeli ruling Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has expected the current government not to continue until the end of its term.

The Knesset Economy Committee Chairman of the Likud Party, MK David Bitan, told the Hebrew Ynet website on Thursday, that Netanyahu does not control pushing the plan to “weaken the judiciary”, and that the government’s mandate may not last for a full term.

He pointed out that the strength of the anti-government protests, and the experts’ warnings about them, “worry Netanyahu”, believing that it would be “difficult for this government to stand, because everyone is competing for the same votes”.

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MK Bitan called on the Israeli opposition to retract its opposition to the plan, saying, “We have a majority, and we can pass whatever we want, and we can reach consensus.”

Bitan’s statements come against the background of a clash between the Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionism party, and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, over authority over settlers in the Occupied West Bank.

On Wednesday, the Israeli ruling coalition postponed to next week a vote on a controversial draft proposal to reform the judicial system in Israel at the request of Israeli President, Isaac Herzog.

For his part, the head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, demanded to postpone the plan for two months, which was rejected by the coalition government.

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