Bennett MK hints at government with Arab party support

Ram Ben Barak, who holds the 12th spot on Naftali Bennett's Beyachad party list, addressed on Monday the dilemma that has gripped the "change bloc" since election day: whether to break the promise not to sit with Netanyahu, or to break the promise not to rely on the Arab parties.

Ben Barak stopped short of calling outright for a government backed by Arab parties, but his words left little doubt which promise he considers binding.

"I want to remind everyone," he said, "the first and most important election promise we made to our voters was to replace the government of destruction and massacre."

"That promise overrides every other promise we made, in order to serve the supreme commitment, which is, as I said, replacing the government of malice, corruption, stench, incitement and division. That is what must be done, period. No one in the change bloc has a mandate not to do what must be done. No one."

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued his first statement to the political system since the final results came in, calling directly for the first time to break the deadlock between the blocs and turn to a unity government.

A statement from the Prime Minister's office said: "The Israeli public does not want a government dependent on Ra'am and the Joint List — parties that support terror and deny the existence of the Jewish state."

Netanyahu went on to say that the Likud has never ruled out a broad Zionist government: "From day one, our hand has been extended to form a broad national government."

But he made it clear that as head of the largest party, the leadership falls to him and to the Likud: "A clear majority of the Jewish public chose the Likud as the largest party and me, as prime minister, to lead the next government.

We aspire to form a broad government with our partners and with any party that wishes to do so and does not support terror. I am open to holding a dialogue on the matter."