“Our only loyalty is to [our] path and values, and we will only be part of a government that expresses them,” Smotrich’s party said in a statement.
Likud later Tuesday reminded Smotrich that he had pledged, when the two parties signed a surplus votes agreement on February 9, not to support any candidate for prime minister other than Netanyahu. Smotrich retorted that the February 9 agreement commits Netanyahu to a coalition committed to clear right-wing principles.
Nonetheless, the move will further complicate efforts by Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid and New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar — the leaders of the likely second- and third-largest parties, respectively — to form a government. If either performs well enough on election day and the right-wing bloc refuses to budge, the more centrist parties will be forced to look elsewhere for coalition partners, be it with Meretz, Labor or possibly the Joint List or Ra’am if the majority-Arab parties agree to offer support from the opposition. If not, and the right-wing, religious bloc doesn’t cobble together at least 61 seats next month, the country could well be headed for a fifth election in under three years.
