Perhaps the most noticeable change in coalition talks since Shabbos 29 Shevat 5773 is the silence from the chareidi parties. Last week Shas’ Eli Yishai and Yahadut Hatorah’s Moshe Gafne did not pass an opportunity to express an opinion, feeding political spin master. Now, as coalition talks enter a second week it appears the veteran chareidi statesmen realize it’s time to get down to business, saying far less and apparently working harder, albeit behind the scenes.

Despite Naftali Bennett’s share the burden address in Knesset on Tuesday 2 Adar 5773, Shas leader Yishai met with him a day earlier, on Monday, Ladaat reports. The two are in negotiations as Shas continues pressing Bennett to break from his agreement with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and join a religious bloc together with Yahadut Hatorah.

If the Tuesday Knesset address is an indicator of where Bennett is at, Yishai is wasting his time for clearly, for the head of the new dati leumi party, sharing the burden is ‘the’ issue in the forming government and joining forces with the chareidi parties would be self-defeating.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)

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