Sources in the “bloc for change,” which aims to replace Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have claimed that Yamina’s number two, MK Ayelet Shaked, is doing everything she can to form a right-wing government, making it difficult for the anti-Netanyahu bloc to form a coalition.

According to News 12 report, Shaked is acting parallel to the ongoing talks within the bloc, which have been expedited since the argument over who should be appointed Justice Minister.

On Tuesday at midnight, Netanyahu’s mandate to form a government will expire.

According to the report, if Lapid is tapped to form a government, the Knesset’s Arrangements Committee will be in his control and he will be able to put the brakes on the initiative to hold a direct election for the position of prime minister.

If the mandate is passed to Bennett, he will hold negotiations from a position of strength which may provide him with advantages on the path to forming a government.

The Yamina party does not believe that a narrow coalition formed with the support of the United Arab List (Ra’am) will last, and the party is therefore interested in expanding the coalition to include parties which are not in the right-religious bloc.

Bennett also aims to break apart the right-religious bloc so that even if the haredi parties do not join a “government of change,” they will at least abstain instead of voting against it.

Source: Arutz Sheva