Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his readiness to make an important concession in order to succeed in the task of forming the government, which expires on Tuesday evening.
Accordingly, the leader of the right-wing "right-wing" party, Naftali Bennett, heads the rotating government.
"I told Bennett that I am ready to accept his request for a rotation arrangement, in which he will first serve as prime minister for one year," Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
"Members (right) will be integrated into the government and the Knesset with important positions," he added.
"The right-wing government under my leadership is the democratic decision. But in order to form such a government, Bennett must stand with us in the right-wing bloc and not join the left-wing bloc," Netanyahu said, adding, "Bennett negotiated with us the request to rotate the premiership for one year, at the same time." "He is negotiating with Yair Lapid on a similar, and even bigger, request."
He described Bennett's request as "extraordinary" from the head of a party that won a few seats in the last legislative elections, and pointed out to Netanyahu that "to prevent the formation of a left-wing government, I am ready to give up my position for the first year."
The Prime Minister added: This is not exactly a routine request from someone who heads a party that has 7 seats (out of 120), but the consideration that guides me is the interest of the state, a right-wing government, not a left.
Netanyahu said, "A clear majority, with a large margin against any other candidate, wants me to continue to lead the country," adding that the voters "collected 65 seats in favor of a right-wing government, and the vast majority of them voted for me as prime minister, directly during the elections, or indirectly for the parties that are I previously agreed to sit in a coalition under my leadership, "considering that a right-wing government under his leadership is a" democratic decision. "
Yesterday, Channel 12 revealed secret talks held by Netanyahu and Bennett in a closed meeting, at the same time that the negotiation team of the "Right" party met with representatives of the "Yesh Atid" party to discuss the details of a possible rotation between the two.
Netanyahu still needs the support of the right-wing "religious Zionism" party headed by Bezalel Smotrich, and the United Arab List headed by Mansour Abbas, in order to reach the more than 61 votes required to obtain the support of the 120-seat Knesset.
Smotrich announced, on more than one occasion, his refusal to join an Arab-backed government, and Abbas did not declare his support for the Netanyahu government, although he said that his support is conditional on the fulfillment of a number of demands related to the Arab (Palestinian) citizens.
And President Reuven Rivlin had appointed Netanyahu last month to form a government within 28 days, which expires tomorrow.
If he fails, Rivlin is expected to task the leader of the opposition and the Lapid "There is a Future" party to form a government within 28 days.