MK Ayelet Shaked (New Right) told Reshet Bet radio on Thursday morning that she refused to sign the new affirmation of loyalty to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The former Justice Minister said: “I think it’s enough already with these signatures. When a couple is married, they don’t reaffirms the ketuba every month. We are part of the rightwing bloc, a bloc of 55 MKs, working together, negotiating jointly. We don’t have to sign a new loyalty oath every other day.”
The heads of the Shas, United Torah Judaism, Habayit Hayehudi, and National Union factions on Wednesday signed a commitment paper not to join any minority government set up by Blue&White leader Benny Gantz at any time, with or without the Joint Arab List.
According to the Likud Wednesday announcement, the heads of the rightwing factions, apart from Naftali Bennett, who is out of the country, had stated that they would only join a government headed by Netanyahu, which includes all the signed rightwing factions, whether in a rightwing government or as part of a broad national unity government with a rotation of prime ministers.
Shaked said regarding the coalition negotiations: “I think Benny Gantz has to be second to lead a rotation government, so he gets to sit for a period of time at the government table and understand how it works. I think this would be in his best interest and the interest of the state. We say to him, OK, we understand nobody has won this election, come, sit down, and learn how this thing works, and then take the reins of government. I think this is a very fair and correct proposal for him and for the State of Israel.”
Shaked also addressed the tensions in Syria and the campaign by Turkish President Recep Taipei Erdogan against the Kurds, saying: “The Kurds are the oldest and biggest nation that has no state. About 35 million people without a country – it’s time for a Kurdish state to be established. I’ve been saying this for many years.”
She added: “There is no comparison between the Palestinians and the Kurdish people, it’s a completely different situation, and I’m not ready to play into Erdogan’s hands – he always link those two.”