Posted on 07/29/23
| News Source: JPost
If National Unity leader MK Benny Gantz is interested in joining the government, "let him join," Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar told Channel 13 in a Saturday evening interview.
"At no point did we join a boycott, and anyone who wanted to join this government according to its basic outlines could join in a moment," the minister said when asked about the prospect of Gantz joining the government. "Unfortunately, there were those who chose to boycott, and we are in a situation of a narrow coalition," he said, in reference to the opposition's boycott of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to his ongoing corruption trial.
"We want a right-wing coalition, and we know that Benny Gantz really likes being in the opposition because that's how he gets stronger politically, so we are not an option for him," Zohar estimated. "We are not ready to boycott, if Gantz is interested in joining, let him negotiate according to the basic outlines of the government, and let him join."
Also asked about the petitions against the legislation to repeal the reasonableness clause, which will be discussed by the High Court, he said: "The government aims to respect the decisions of the High Court, as we have respected them in the past, just as we expect the High Court to respect basic laws - that has been the equation throughout the years.
"We will respect all court decisions. A court is an important body in Israeli democracy, along with the government and the Knesset, but the court must continue to respect the principle according to which basic laws have the status of a constitution, and I hope that this will not be violated."