Silman wrote a letter to Baharav-Miara on Wednesday, stating that the project had been initiated „following appeals by Haredi and Arab communities.“
However, it has come to light that an extreme right-wing organization has significantly influenced this project.
(01.08.2023)
The program, which seeks to touch on a sensitive issue as more religious circle call for segregated bathing hours while liberal groups see this as a slipper slope toward the sidelining of women, will not impact the existing arraignment for mixed-gender bathers as it will take place only between 6 pm to 9 pm and later. Israeli natural springs are usually closed for bathers by 5 p.m.
Asked about the immediate aftermath of Silman‘s resignation, he said that „the first order of business was to stabilize the faction. I‘ve spoken with the party heads and this government is moving forward. The alternative is to return to the dark days of more election campaigns. Instead of fighting terrorism, fighting each other.“
Bennett further rejected the assertion that the current 60-60 situation in the Knesset has left his government paralyzed, saying that political paralysis „is measured in actions. Controversial laws are hard to pass, but we have no issue with regular legislation.“
(April 6, 2022)
Netanyahu has been relatively quiet on Ukraine, which would put him at odds with the current administration and key parts of the U.S. Republican Party. In the past he has seen Putin as a partner in fighting Iranian influence in Syria and in the effort to keep Iran from supplying Hezbollah and Hamas with cash and weapons. That is similar to Bennett’s policy, though it is hard to imagine Bibi trying to mediate the conflict or allowing his foreign minister to call Putin a war criminal, as Lapid is now doing.
(08.04.2022)
On Wednesday, Idit Silman, a right-wing member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, announced her defection from Bennett’s political party, Yamina, robbing the government of its majority.
The coalition whip is said to have resigned after reports of middle-of-the-night secret meetings between the former PM and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who is desperate for a political comeback.
The crisis comes after a series of deadly attacks in Israel that killed 11 Israelis, putting high pressure on the government.
To the bystander, it’s clear that this government’s prospects of serving out its full term were very much reduced on Wednesday. Even if an election is still a complicated and distant scenario, the political turmoil aids the revolution that opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to foment at a critical moment in his trial, when the testimony of Shlomo Filber, who has turned state’s evidence, raises the danger of a prison term for the former prime minister.