Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) opposes the entry of the Zionist Union into a unity government, stating Friday that the union is incompatible. 

“‘It’s us or them’ is not just an election slogan – this statement reflects differences in perspective,” Hotovely stated. “The public elected us and we should take this as a mandate to lead the government under the stance the public selected.” 

Hotovely added that the government had “no need” for the Zionist Union, and that “there is no reason why we should throw them a lifeline.” 

Hotovely’s remarks may partially stem from a perceived threat to her position, as Zionist Union leader Yitzhak Herzog is expected to ask for the Foreign Minister position. Currently, while Hotovely is technically a deputy minister, she functionally runs the ministry on her own. 

The idea of a unity government has faced opposition from both sides of the aisle, with ruling MKs and ministers noting the Zionist Union’s views are incompatible with the ruling government’s, and Zionist Union MKs stating that a strong Opposition has the greater potential for impact than a broad, vanilla government.