Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid believes that the current government's term will end by June of this year, and predicts that the election for the 21st Knesset will be held in September, Lapid said Wednesday in a meeting with Knesset reporters. Lapid said he would not help establish a substitute government if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were forced to resign, in the event that Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit decided to indict him. Touching on the investigation into the illicit gifts in which the prime minister is allegedly involved, Lapid said that "gifts must not be accepted. As a public official, I've never taken gifts. The only thing I've taken as a public official was a book for my birthday." Lapid added that he would not join a center-left bloc that included the Labor party, but nevertheless hinted at the possibility of joining forces with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu party. "There are two centrist parties in the Knesset -- Yesh Atid and Kulanu. I'm doubtful about joining up with Kahlon, but I'd be happy for [other] connections," Lapid said. Lapid also revealed for the first time that he was in talks with former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi about joining his party. "I'm in touch with Ya'alon, I'm in touch with everyone ... and I'm trying to convince them all to join Yesh Atid. None of them will make a decision until an election is on the calendar," he said. The Yesh Atid leader stressed that if his party won the election, his first phone calls would be to Likud and Labor, because "there is a need to establish a national unity government." Lapid also took a stance defending the High Court justices, saying "the role of the High Court is to [create] balance. I will bow to all High Court rulings." Asked about construction in Judea and Samaria, Lapid said, "I support construction in the settlement blocs but we need to hold a regional summit. There are no shortcuts."
