Mandag 19. november var det ventet at utdanningsminister Naftali Bennett og justisminister Ayelet Shaked fra det høyreorienterte partiet Bayit Yehudi skulle trekke seg fra regjeringen. Dermed ville regjeringen til Benjamin Netanyahu mistet sitt knappe flertall i Knesset.
Omkring klokken 09.30 holdt Bennett og Shaked en felles pressekonferanse i Knesset. Bennett innledet med en klageliste over statsminister Benjamin Netanyahus ledelse, og de fleste observatører varslet nyvalg. Men mot slutten av talen overrasket Bennett med å gi fornyet støtte til Netanyahu. Han trakk sitt ultimatum om å bli forsvarsminister og sa at han vil fortsette som utdanningsminister.
– De neste ukene vil bli en test for Netanyahu sa, Bennett. Han nevnte særskilt kravet om å fjerne den ulovlig oppsatte beduinleiren i Khan al-Ahmar, som Netanyahu hittil har utsatt på grunn av internasjonalt press.
– Vi har valgt å legge til side partipolitikk for landets beste, forklarte Shaked.
– Vi har gjort fantastisk arbeid på utdanning- og justisfeltet og vi kan gjøre mer. På fredag leder jeg komitéen for å velge nye dommere, la hun til.
Bennett og Shaked kritiserte Avigdor Lieberman, som i forrige uke trakk seg som forsvarsminister og tok partiet sitt med ut av regjeringen.
Pressekonferansen ble avsluttet uten at partilederen og nestlederen tok spørsmål fra salen.
I explained in @haaretzcom last year why the right won't turn on Netanyahu. The fear of 1992 still hasn't left them. It hasn't changed. They will wait for Netanyahu to bring himself down with his own corruption. No one wants to be seen holding the knife.https://t.co/WqWThHTb9e
— Anshel Pfeffer אנשיל פפר (@AnshelPfeffer) November 19, 2018
The government's far from stable, but Netanyahu won this round. March election now almost certainly off the table. Netanyahu will spend the next few months as defense minister as well. His next challenge – police recommendations in Case 4000 and the attorney-general's indictment.
— Anshel Pfeffer אנשיל פפר (@AnshelPfeffer) November 19, 2018
No joke: @netanyahu's office just released this photo (I cropped) pic.twitter.com/aazNfkoDaZ
— Raphael Ahren (@RaphaelAhren) November 19, 2018
Snap analysis is that everyone is playing this game very expertly. Netanyahu boxed Bennett in, and Bennett handled it like a pro, and even got in a few punches. Question really is where this will lead us down the line.
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) November 19, 2018
#Netanyahu is a political genius, but #Bennett shows he is (perhaps) no novice either. Calls Netanyahu's bluff and puts ball squarely back in his (or other Coalition parties) court! 3/3
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) November 19, 2018
To sum up, Israel's political drama has ended for the moment. No early elections at this point, Netanyahu's government still standing, Israel's Gaza policy of restraint still intact & Khan al-Ahmar is still standing.
— Tovah Lazaroff (@tovahlazaroff) November 19, 2018
PM Netanyahu: Whether our partners decide to topple the government or not, we will continue to take action to ensure the security of our state and of our people. We will do so sensibly, responsibly and with determination.
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) November 19, 2018
