Hours after Netanyahu put his efforts into the Arab vote; he met with the “Shulmanim,” a new party representing Israel’s self-employed. In his efforts to recruit the group to join his coalition, he told them that the other groups expected to join his coalition, the Haredim and the Religious Zionist Party headed by Bezalel Smotrich, “do as I tell them to,” in a leaked video obtained exclusively by N12.
The party was founded in 2019 and today holds over 200,000 self-employed Israelis.
Netanyahu reportedly offered their leader, Karah, a prominent position in the Likud. When he refused, the meeting was leaked. They might join with Naftali Bennett’s Yamina or even form their own party, ahead of a coalition majority of 61 needed for the upcoming March elections.
When Netanyahu was asked by the group how these elections would be different when it comes to representing their interests, he responded, “Who is toying with you? Am I toying with you? Did I not assist you? I almost completely sacrificed my political career to support you, not twice, not three times, but four times! I come from you, I understand you,” he added.
Among their demands were a refund for business taxes and tending to those who didn’t receive the coronavirus stimulus package. Netanyahu cast the blame on other figures, including legal assistants and former Likud MK Moshe Kahlon. Kahlon had previously served as Finance Minister.
In trying to woo the “Shulmanim” vote, Netanyahu discussed his political vision for the coalition win: without the figures he ran with before but running off of the success of his handling of the coronavirus.
“I have one thing different this election: the coronavirus,” he said. He warned that, should they not join him, they would be endangering the unity of the 61 majorities that he is convinced he’ll get, endangering the coalition.
He told them that he assumes he could pull 41 mandates from support for his coronavirus management, as well as from Arab voters, something he attempted to do on Wednesday in Nazareth, breaking headlines with the protests against his visit. In an effort to convince the “Shulmanim” that their concerns would be dealt with and not only those of his most loyal partners in the past decade, the Haredim, but Netanyahu also assured them that “they do as I tell them to.”
The “Shulman” representatives insisted that their demands don’t require a coalition to succeed
