Miriam Peretz Says Elisaf Would Leave Knesset Over Coalition With an Arab Party

Miriam Peretz said on Thursday, November 12, that her son Elisaf, a newly sworn-in Yashar MK, would leave the Knesset if his party entered a government with an Arab party. She made the comments in an interview about his political choices and pressure directed at the family. “If my son’s party sits with an Arab party, he will leave the Knesset,” Miriam said. She objected to an Arab party having a role in deciding whether Israel goes into battle. She distinguished formal participation in government from parliamentary support from outside it, citing support Arab parties had given previous governments, including Benjamin Netanyahu’s, on measures such as National Insurance legislation. Asked about the possibility of Elisaf defecting, Miriam said pressure had been applied since he joined Yashar and was particularly heavy now. She said people were writing both to her and to him and using other methods she declined to describe. She did not identify those applying the pressure and said the details would become public one day. Miriam expressed confidence in her son’s judgment when facing difficult questions that could conflict with his values. She said he represented the family as well as himself, while emphasizing that he was the elected representative and she was stating her own position. Elisaf entered the 26th Knesset as a member of Yashar, the party led by Gadi Eisenkot.