MK Orbach Will Allow Formation of Bennett-Lapid Gov’t

The chairman of the Yamina party MK Naftali Bennett and MK Nir Orbach met Thursday afternoon at Bennett’s home in Raanana, against the background of the formation of the government to be headed by Bennett and Yair Lapid.

“Naftali and I have been walking together in a loyal and common way for many years,” Orbach said at the end of the meeting.

Orbach clarified: “I have no intention of holding talks with anyone who has not raised a finger in the last two months to form a right-wing government,” referring to the Likud and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

For the time being, Orbach says that he intends to give a chance to the formation of a ‘change’ government and does not intend to meet with Netanyahu or the chairman of the Religious Zionism Party, MK Betzalel Smotrich.

On Wednesday night there were reports that Orbach opposed the formation of the government, and announced that he would not resign but vote against it, but he refrained from announcing it officially, thus allowing Yair Lapid to inform the president that he had managed to form a government.

On Thursday morning, Orbach announced that he does not support the replacement of the Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin (Likud) and is withdrawing his signature from the list of Yamina MKs which was submitted to the Knesset.