Likud gives up on positive campaign strategy

Prime Minister Netanyahu attacked Blue and White at Likud's opening rally, saying "whoever votes for them is voting for a fourth election"

By GIL HOFFMAN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting, January 2020. (photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY / POOL)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting, January 2020.
(photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY / POOL)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu devoted much of his speech at the Likud’s opening rally at the Jerusalem International Convention Center Tuesday night to attacking Blue and White, despite the Likud saying it would adopt a positive campaign strategy.
Netanyahu repeatedly called Blue and White “left-wing,” noting that the Joint List recommended to President Reuven Rivlin that Blue and White leader Benny Gantz form a government. The prime minister took a white board and did math on stage to prove that Blue and White cannot form a government without the Joint List.
“Whoever votes for them is voting for a fourth election,” Netanyahu said.
He accused Gantz of waffling on key issues like annexing the Jordan Valley, and Blue and White of having MKs with opposite opinions. For instance, Netanyahu showed a picture of Blue and White MKs Ofer Shelah and Zvi Hauser, with half a face of each, noting that one half supported the Jewish Nation-State Law while the other half opposed it.
Netanyahu also played a video of Gantz stuttering when talking about his accomplishments:
“Before, it was us or them, but now, it’s us or the-e-e-em, Netanyahu said mockingly.
Netanyahu rattled off a long list of accomplishments for Likud on diplomatic and socioeconomic issues.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein attended the event and was greeted without problems, despite permitting the Knesset plenum to meet next Tuesday on Netanyahu’s request for immunity from prosecution in his criminal cases. Former Blue and White MK Gadi Yevarkan, who defected to Likud last week, also attended and was greeted by Netanyahu, who did not mention Edelstein or immunity in his speech.
Earlier Tuesday, the incoming head of the Knesset House Committee that will be formed next week, Blue and White faction chairman Avi Nissenkorn, announced that the first hearing on immunity for Netanyahu would be held on Thursday, January 30, at 2:30 p.m., and subsequent hearings would be held every week day the following week.
The dates were sent to Netanyahu and Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit to enable them to prepare for the hearings.