Likud, Blue and White back compromise to avoid elections

Gantz warned that elections would cause a civil war. He said he was willing to make personal sacrifices to prevent such a scenario.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Benny Gantz hold a press conference in Tel Aviv on July 27, 2020. (photo credit: TAL SHAHAR/POOL)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Benny Gantz hold a press conference in Tel Aviv on July 27, 2020.
(photo credit: TAL SHAHAR/POOL)
The political crisis that could lead to a fourth election in 19 months being initiated Monday night appeared on its way to being resolved on Saturday night, when both Likud and Blue and White accepted a compromise.
Negotiating teams of the two parties spoke late Saturday night in an effort to reach an agreement in time for Sunday’s meeting of the Knesset Finance Committee, which is set to vote on the final readings of Derech Eretz MK Zvi Hauser’s bill to postpone the deadline for passing the state budget from Monday to December.
Hauser proposed a compromise on the issue of political appointments, which has been the toughest issue to resolve in the crisis.
According to the compromise, Blue and White would honor the coalition agreement and form an appointments committee that includes Likud representatives, and appointments would be frozen until the committee meets.
“We are on the edge of the cliff, before the craziness of going to elections,” Hauser said on Channel 13, where he proposed the compromise. “It is possible to reach a compromise and prevent elections.”
Hauser met with Gantz at the television studio, between interviews of Hauser and Gantz, and Gantz told him he agreed to the compromise. Likud officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would also accept it.
“We are ready for any solution to avoid elections,” Gantz said in the interview. “Netanyahu dragged us into this crisis. He knows I will not give up on democracy and the rule of law. I cannot explain Netanyahu’s behavior other than personal reasons.”
Gantz warned that elections would cause a civil war. He said he was willing to make personal sacrifices to prevent such a scenario.
“It is less important to me if I will be prime minister,” Gantz said. “What is important is to avoid elections. The prime minister needs to stop and say I will not drag this country to elections.”
Asked whether elections have been avoided, Likud faction chairman Miki Zohar told The Jerusalem Post: “I hope so.”
One technical possibility if no compromise is finalized is that a constructive no-confidence vote could be passed on Monday that could lead to a new coalition without Likud or without Blue and White. Opposition MKs Moshe Ya’alon (Yesh Atid-Telem) and Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) called for such a maneuver, but Hauser, whose support would be needed, ruled that out, as did MKs in Likud and Blue and White.
Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn vigorously denied  accusations from the Likud on Friday that he was deliberately torpedoing efforts to prevent an election, due to a conspiracy with Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit.
Nissenkorn, who leads Blue and White’s coalition negotiating team, has been the least willing to compromise among the party’s leaders. He has refused the Likud’s demands to form a committee on political appointments, while other figures in Blue and White were willing to give in.
In an official statement, the Likud said Nissenkorn was being tough, because Mandelblit had closed a criminal case against him. The Likud said the case was initiated by then-interim state prosecutor Dan Eldad, who Nissenkorn fired and replaced with Mandelblit.
“Was a case closed in return for an appointment and an appointment in return for closing a case?” the Likud asked. “Mandelblit and Nissenkorn will have to give answers to the public immediately.”
Nissenkorn responded on Twitter by saying “To whoever is attempting to spread ridiculous lies and invent a scandal, you will not deter me for a single moment from defending the rule of the law. Miserable souls, your attacks only strengthen me.”
Mandelblit’s office released a statement in response to the allegations, reaffirming that Nissenkorn is not currently, nor was he ever, a suspect in any crime.
“Following media publications in 2017 that raised allegations regarding the Histadrut Labor Union elections that involved Mr. Avi Nissenkorn, it was decided in May 2017 that the police would examine the issue,” the statement read. “The police reached the conclusion that there was no justification in perusing the matter further, for several reasons, including the lack of evidence and the nature of the allegations.”
The statement continued to say that in May Mandelblit was told that police recommended Nissenkorn not be investigated. Additionally, “it was made clear that no new relevant information came up regarding this issue since, and there was just valid reason to probe the issue further.”
“The attorney-general asked to conduct another examination of the police recommendation and to verify the fact that the recommendation that was given in 2017 was still relevant at this time. A close examination revealed that the recommendation remained as it was and that there was no evidential basis that justified opening a criminal investigation today,” the statement read.