Bennett to coalition: Don’t rock the boat, keep the budget

“Let us focus, especially in the weeks ahead, on what unites us and not what divides us,” Bennett said. “There is no point in rocking the boat. Even when you are dying to respond and you are sure you’re right, think about the wider goal. The nation has had enough disputes and petty arguments and expects us, members of the cabinet and coalition, to be different. I am convinced we can succeed.”

Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern seen during a plenum session in the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, on October13, 2021. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

But Stern dropped out of the agency race last week following a dispute over him shredding anonymous complaints in the IDF. It remains to be seen what can be done to prevent Avidar from rebelling against the coalition. 

Meretz MK Mossi Raz responded to Bennett that he agrees that coalition MKs should not focus on issues they disagree on. But he said there should be no dispute over violence and that the prime minister and his government should unite in condemning what he called a “pogrom” by settlers against Palestinians in the village Burin.  

Bennett will be speaking about violence on Monday at a special Knesset session on the 26th anniversary of the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The meeting will also be addressed by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy and ministers Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Gideon Sa’ar and Merav Michaeli. President Isaac Herzog will attend.  

In his speech to the cabinet, Bennett also referenced the contributions of immigrants to Israel in honor of Aliyah Day, which was last week.