Bennett ditches “government of change”

Yamina’s Naftali Bennett on Thursday withdrew from his deal with opposition leader Yair Lapid to jointly set up a “government of change,” which he would lead first as prime minister. The two were assigned this mandate from the president, after PM Binyamin Netanyahu failed in the task. Bennett has now gone back to talks with Likud leaders for the formation of a right-wing government led, after all, by Netanyahu. Political sources report that the Yamina leader now holds a weaker hand than before. He may be offered at most Defense, with Foreign Affairs for Ayelet Shaked and nine safe seats on the future Likud Knesset slate.