Naftali Bennett of the Jewish Home party.

Times of Israel – Five years after he quit as Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, and well over two weeks since the elections, Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett was finally invited Thursday to meet with the prime minister next week to discuss a possible coalition partnership.

The precise circumstances of Bennett’s abrupt departure from Netanyahu’s employ five years ago have never been fully revealed, but the abidingly chilly nature of the relationship between them was underlined by their perfunctory handshake after the Knesset swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who has antagonized Netanyahu by openly declaring his prime ministerial ambitions, received a far warmer greeting that day, and on Thursday held the second of two lengthy meetings with Netanyahu about a coalition partnership, with an agreement to meet soon for a third

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