Israeli opposition parties said Wednesday and Thursday that they would join, or at least vote with, a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enable him to pass a potential hostage and ceasefire deal.
The pledge could be crucial, as some right-wing parties have said that they will leave the government if it agrees to a deal that stops short of a complete victory over Hamas, potentially triggering new elections.
The Times of Israel reported Thursday:
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid pledges that his Yesh Atid party will support any hostage deal, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right partners vow to oppose the ceasefire agreement presented to Israel.
Lapid’s party, the Knesset’s second-largest, has 24 seats. The opposition leader says he will not demand anything in return from the premier for approving the truce.
…
Yesterday, the Kan public broadcaster reported that Benny Gantz’s centrist opposition party, Blue and White-National Unity, is considering joining the government to support a hostage deal.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing an all-out assault on Gaza City, particularly on the few areas that have been relatively untouched by the fighting, and where the remaining 50 Israeli hostages (20 living) are thought to be held.
Israel’s military pressure appears to be encouraging Hamas to return to negotiation — after French, British, Canadian, and Australian promises of recognizing a Palestinian state apparently convinced the terrorists that they were winning the war and did not need to make compromises.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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