Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, announced Thursday evening that his party would not join a nationalist government headed by Likud – Yisrael Beitenu.
"To all those who asked," he wrote on his Facebook page, "Of course we will not sit as a fifth wheel in a government of Shas and the extreme right."
"On the other hand – if we have enough Knesset seats, maybe we can establish a completely different government," Lapid added. "A moderate, centrist government in which we will be able to pass a law for an equal share of the burden, which will not pour billions into yeshivas and illegal outposts outside the settlement blocs, and that will take care of education and housing, and of the Israeli middle class."
The timing of Lapid's statement appears to be connected to a similar statement made earlier Thursday by MK Shelly Yechimovich. If Lapid stands behind his pledge, the next government might be composed solely of the "nationalist bloc" and the "hareidi bloc".
The news could only spark alight at the end of the tunnel for the Likud Beitenu campaign.The lesser options that remain for Netanyahu in forming a new government per his wish, the more voters who prefer Netnayahu as Prime minister, will flock to vote for the largest party in the right wing bloc- the Likud Beitenu.
