Education Minister Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home Party was angry about a cease-fire deal the prime minister made with the Palestinians
A key Israeli minister said on Monday he would not quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government for now despite sharp disagreements, making snap polls less likely.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home Party said he would give Netanyahu time to correct course on a range of issues.
“If the prime minister is serious in his intentions, and I want to believe his words from last night, I am saying here to the prime minister we are removing at this moment all of our political demands and will help you in the huge mission of making Israel win again,” Bennett said in a statement to journalists broadcast live on television.
Bennett’s party had earlier threatened to leave Netanyahu’s coalition if he was not named defence minister. Netanyahu has refused to give him the post.
“You win some, you lose some,” Bennett said, shrugging off Netanyahu’s rejection of his bid.
If Bennett withdrew his party from the coalition, it would have stripped Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority and triggered the early polls. Analysts had expected elections to be held in March.
Netanyahu had earlier said it would be “irresponsible” to dissolve the government and call early elections.
The coalition crisis was triggered by a botched Israeli raid in Gaza last week that led to intense fighting between Israel and Hamas. Bennett threatened to withdraw to protest a ceasefire reached by Netanyahu last week with Gaza’s Hamas government.
Netanyahu’s defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, had already resigned in protest.
Bennett then demanded the defence portfolio as a condition for remaining in the government.
Netanyahu says he will do whatever is needed to protect the country, regardless of his coalition partners’ decision.
Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Reuters
