Israel National News has learned that, after the coalition lost its majority in the wake of coalition chairwoman Idit Silman’s decision to resign, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has sent Deputy Minister Abir Kara to hold 14-day marathon negotiations with MK Amichai Chikli in an attempt to convince him to stop siding with the opposition and automatically acting against the coalition.
According to various sources, Bennett understands that Chikli will not return to Yamina so long as it depends on the Ra’am party, but he will be content with Chikli joining the emerging alliance between Minister Ayelet Shaked, Deputy Minister Kara and MK Nir Orbach.
Bennett and Kara's move shows that the goal of the emerging alliance, at least for the time being, is to strengthen the coalition by making achievements that benefit the ideological right.
If Chikli agrees to join - the coalition will be able to use him at the start of the Knesset summer session in various votes, and it is possible that later, in light of the re-stabilization of the coalition, Idit Silman will also return to the coalition.
During the negotiations with Chikli, Kara clarified to him that he has nothing to look for in the Likud led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and that on the other hand, by separating himself from the opposition and joining the said alliance, he will succeed in making achievements.
"In your current position with the Likud, you are nothing but a rag. You are being pushed out. What will you get out of the Likud?" Kara told Chikli, adding, "You will suffer three blows: There will be no government led by Netanyahu, you will be considered a defector and Silman is the one who has become the darling of the right. You have completely lost momentum."
"On the other hand, bring a list of things that favor the values of the right and we will promote it. Just like Nir [Orbach] brought a list and I brought a list. Try us. Challenge Naftali Bennett and judge him by the results," continued Kara.
Chikli responded to the report and tweeted on Monday night, "I understand that Bennett is under pressure, not to mention hysterical, and rightly so. His days as Prime Minister are numbered and even an Ecmo machine in the form of Ahmed Tibi and Ayman Odeh will not help him. I will proudly appear for the discussion on my status and, as I said, I will continue on the path we promised to the voters at all costs."