Haredi lawmakers are working to prevent the formation of a unity government including the Yamina and New Hope factions with the Left and Avidgor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party, Arutz Sheva has learned.

Haredi faction officials have told Arutz Sheva that following Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett’s declaration Sunday night that he plans to form a unity government with Yesh Atid, haredi lawmakers proposed an alternative plan to New Hope chief Gideon Sa’ar.

Under the proposed plan, a new coalition government of 61 MKs would be formed without either the Likud or the left-wing Meretz and Labor parties.

Yisrael Beytenu and the United Arab List would also be excluded from the arrangement.

Center-left factions including Blue and White and Yesh Atid, however, would be included, along with the two haredi factions – United Torah Judaism and Shas – the New Hope, Yamina, and the Religious Zionist Party.

Furthermore, MK Ofir Sofer, a member of the National Union party who was given a slot on the Likud list in the previous election, would be integrated into the government as part of the Religious Zionist Party.

The proposed government would have a barebones majority of 61 MKs, and while it would address the opposition factions’ refusal to sit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it would likely also raise serious issues of religion and state, which divide Yesh Atid and the religious parties.

Source: Arutz Sheva