Yahadut Hatorah officials have given a written list of its demands to Likud’s Yariv Levin as coalition negotiations between the parties will be limited to writing during Pesach week.

While the chareidi parties, Shas and Yahadut Hatorah, have recommended Binyamin Netanyahu receive the presidential mandate to form a coalition government, talks will not officials get underway until after Pesach.

On Sunday, the first day Chol Hamoed Pesach in Israel, Likud began talks with the Yisrael Beitenu party, which is placing the matter of drafting bnei torah and the new draft law at the top of its agenda. Unofficial talks began with Yahadut Hatorah and Likud as well, as the former handed the latter a list of negotiating demands ahead of beginning formal talks.

That list included the following requests for appointments: Yaakov Litzman to remain in the Health Ministry, Moshe Gafne is to remain chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee and representative of Yahadut Hatorah also remain in control of the Welfare, housing and deputy minister of education portfolios. In some cases, as the education portfolio, the party requests a deputy ministerial slot with a minister overseeing the ministry, while in other cases, including health, they wish to see Litzman serve once again as a deputy minister with ministerial authority.

They are also seeking the chairman slot of two committees as well as participation in other committees, as each of the eight party members will have appropriate tasks.

Yariv on Monday was scheduled to consult with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who agreed that until after yomtov, talks would continue in writing and speaking.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)