Netanyahu to haredim: Don't form narrow govt with Left

Excerpt from Netanyahu's sharp speech (Photo: Knesset Channel)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a combative speech Tuesday at the swearing-in ceremony for the 26th Knesset, sharply attacking the possibility of a government dependent on Arab parties and warning of coming international pressure on Israel.

"Iran is working to renew the nuclear threat. The only way to remove this existential threat permanently is by toppling the ayatollahs' regime," Netanyahu said at the opening of his remarks. He warned that "in the near future we will face international pressure to make peace with a nuclear Iran and with the continued existence of the regime of terror that seeks to destroy us."

Netanyahu stressed the need for a unity government as a condition for confronting security challenges. "Facing these threats, we must do one thing in this house: put aside every other consideration and establish a national unity government. Only it will be able to deal with such enormous challenges," he said.

In the central portion of his speech, Netanyahu sharply attacked the possibility of forming a government reliant on Arab parties. "To those who are thinking of establishing a government that includes within it terror-supporting Israel-haters, or that will be dependent on them, to these people I ask you, are you willing to be dependent on those whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state?" he asked.

"In their hands you place the fate of our state? Them you prefer over Zionist parties that represent a huge Zionist public? A public of fighters, of heroes, of IDF wounded, of bereaved families," Netanyahu added.

The prime minister also addressed the distinction between different Arab parties. "There are those in this house who for some reason think there is a big difference between the supposedly 'moderate' Ra'am and the 'extremist' Joint List. The only difference is that they are divided on the question of which state will arise here on the ruins of the Jewish state," he claimed.

According to him, "whether an Islamic state in the style of the Muslim Brotherhood like Hamas in Gaza, or a Palestinian nationalist state in the style of Fatah. That's the whole difference. But on one thing they agree: Israel, as a Jewish state, has no right to exist."

Netanyahu quoted Mansour Abbas, who said in the past: "Jerusalem, the Kotel and the Temple Mount do not belong to the Jews. The Jews are invaders."

Netanyahu turned to the haredim and asked them to avoid joining the change bloc:

"And I say to our haredi brothers, even a narrow government must not be formed. Because I know what is at stake, not only the enormous security challenge, but also the great internal challenge of preserving the Jewish identity of the State of Israel.

You represent a large public that is concerned for the Jewish identity of the state, an Israel-loving public that settles in the heart of Eretz Yisrael.

We, the faith bloc, have guarded and will continue to guard the holy places of Israel, and you know very well who your partners in a narrow government will be and what their attitude is toward the holy places of Israel.

Our shared mission is to complete the regulation of the status of Torah learners and the draft law with broad agreement, in partnership with your spiritual leadership.

I don't need to tell you, you know very well, they will promise you mountains and hills. But one minute after, G-d forbid, a government is formed under the leadership of the Left, all those promises will evaporate."

During the speech, incoming MK Naftali Bennett burst out in interruption, behavior apparently unprecedented during the traditional ceremony.