A senior Israeli minister on Saturday attacked Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett, saying his “hypocritical” right wing party was the sole impediment to extending peace talks, and noting that the prime minister could form a government without its 12 members
In an interview Saturday with Channel 2, Environmental Minister Amir Peretz (Hatnua) called Jewish Home the “national hypocrisy party” and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could weld together an alternative government without it in order to keep the peace talks with the Palestinians afloat.
“The time has come for Netanyahu to decide whether this government is an extreme right-wing government or a government that continues the peace process,” Peretz said. “One thing is clear: there is an alternative to the [current] government without Bennett. There is no alternative to the government without the peace process.”
Peretz’s statements came after Bennett threatened that his 12-seat nationalist-Orthodox Jewish Home would bolt if the government reached an agreement with the Palestinians to release Israeli-Arabs from prison in a bid to salvage the faltering peace talks.
“If the proposition of releasing Israeli murderers is brought before the government, Jewish Home will oppose it,” Bennett said in a statement late Thursday night. “If the proposal passes — Jewish Home with leave any government that releases murderers who have Israeli citizenship.” That stance was formally endorsed by Jewish Home MKs on Friday.
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