Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the nation Monday evening following his decision to dissolve the government and hold new elections in the fall.
"We face you today in a difficult moment, but with the understanding that we made the right decision for Israel. The formation of the government was the hardest thing in my life, but also the most Zionist thing in my life," Bennett said.
"We wanted to continue, believe me, we left no stone unturned. Not for our honor - but for the honor of this beautiful country. Last Friday I was told by security officials and lawyers that with the expiration of the Judea and Samaria regulations, the State of Israel will enter chaos. I could not allow this.
On Yair Lapid, Bennett said that "Yair embodies virtues of fairness and responsibility and he represents a significant population in Israel. In the coming days until the dissolution of the Knesset and the existence of the rotation between us, I will assist him in carrying out an orderly transition - as needed."
To Yamina voters who were disappointed with him, Bennett said: "I understand you, the move we made was not easy, I did it for the right reasons, I believed it was necessary to get Israel out of the pit, I had no option to evade it."
Bennett decided to dissolve the Knesset after a conversation with the Attorney General last Friday about the chaos that will be created if the Judea and Samaria regulations are not passed. "I am not willing to accept blackmail and threats. If I harm the state because of the non-approval of the Judea and Samaria regulations, I will go," Bennett said
Yair Lapid will become prime minister during the transition period as per the coalition agreement and will greet US President Joe Biden as Israel's premier during his visit to the Jewish State on July 13. Elections for the 25th Knesset will be held in October; at this point, the most likely date seems to be October 25.
With the dissolution of the government, Naftali Bennett will become the shortest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, a record which would be broken by Lapid if he does not remain prime minister following the elections.
Netanyahu: Great news for the State of Israel
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted with joy to the dissolution of the government following Prime Minister Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Lapid's decision to dissolve the 24th Knesset.
Netanyahu said: "This is an evening with great news for the masses of citizens in Israel. After a determined struggle by the opposition in the Knesset and the great suffering of the public in Israel, it is clear to everyone that the most failed government in the country's history has ended."
"A government that was dependent on supporters of terrorism, that abandoned the personal security of the citizens of Israel, that raised the cost of living to levels we never saw before, that imposed unnecessary taxes, that endangered the Jewish character of our country - this government is going home," he said.
The former prime minister promised: "My friends and I will form a broad national government headed by the Likud. A government that will take care of you, all Israeli citizens, without exception. A government that will lower taxes, lower prices, will lead Israel to tremendous achievements including expanding the circle of peace. A government that will return the national pride to the citizens of Israel so that you can walk the streets with your head held high. With G-d's help, we will do this and succeed.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid have decided to dissolve the current government and hold new elections. The decision was made after the two exhausted efforts to preserve the current coalition, which has seen numerous crisis in recent months.
No comments:
Post a Comment