Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu has been holding talks with a member of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Yamina party to convince him to defect and bring about the collapse of the governing coalition, Ynet has learned on Wednesday.
Nir Orbach, a conservative lawmaker who has long been considered a weak link in a governing coalition that features left-wing and Arab parties, has been reportedly offered a spot in Netanyahu's Likud party in case of an election or alternatively, a senior salaried position within the party's institutions if he is sanctioned by Yamina and is barred from running for Knesset under an existing parliamentary framework like fellow Yamina MK Amichai Chikli.
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Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Yamina MK Nir Orbach and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch, Alex Kolomoisky, AFP)
Sources familiar with the talks told Ynet that although Orbach remains loyal to the current coalition, he believes that its days in its current composition are numbered. According to the sources, Netanyahu gave Orbach an ultimatun until next week.
This comes just days after the pro-settlements legislator was seen snapping at fellow coalition lawmaker MK Mazen Ghanaim of the Islamist Ra'am party who broke party discipline to defeat the renewal of a bill extending legal protections to Jewish West Bank settlers.
After the bill was defeated on Monday, an incensed Orbach was seen approaching Ghanaim before being pulled back by ushers as he yelled at the Arab lawmaker "the experiment with you has failed."
Likud activists who spoke with Orbach recently got the impression that his patience with the government has run out, despite being a long-time running mate of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and fellow Yamina member Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked. Orbach had even been appointed secretery-general of the Jewish Home party by the duo before splintering off to form Yamina.
Orbach was highly hesitent about entering the coalition, but ultimately decided to remain loyal to his political alliance. However, it now appears he intends to dissolve the partnership with the prime minister and interior minister.
Orbach declined Ynet's request for comment.