Clearly the Likud is not being overly generous in its negotiations with the Bayit Yehudi party. Some feel this may be the result of party leader Naftali Bennett’s insolence last summer during Operation Protective Edge, when he publically condemned the actions and inactions of the cabinet during the war. Others believe it may be related to the rivalry between the prime minister and Bennett from the past.
Channel 10 News reported Likud officials involved in ongoing coalition talks on Monday 10 Nissan signaled to Bayit Yehudi officials that without increasing the number of ministers that will serve in the new government, Likud plans to take 12 cabinet posts, leaving 6 slots for coalition partners. The cabinet will be 18 ministers plus the prime minister, the same size as the outgoing cabinet.
If this is going to be so, it is most unlikely that Shaked will be a minister and the same holds true for Sofia Landver of the Yisrael Beitenu party. Even if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wishes to increase the cabinet to 22, as was the case in the 18th Knesset, he faces the opposition of most heads of parties entering into the coalition. Shas party leader Aryeh Deri has already voiced his opposition to increasing the cabinet. Moshe Kahlon of Kulanu and Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beitenu have yet to announce how they feel but calling to increase the number of ministers is likely to result in a public outcry.
In an interview with the Srugim dati leumi news site, incoming MK Betzalel Smotrich emphasized his party’s inclusion in the coalition is not something that should be self-evident to any of the players.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Likud increased in seats (radically) and Yisrael Beiteinu and Bayit Yehudi lost (substantially).
Likud has the option to dump the far-right parties and joing a centrist coalition, with him as Prime Minister and with more patronage from a centrist coalition than his far-right allies would leave to Likud if they had their way.
Netanyahu can easily play hardball with the hareidim by offering them the choice of cabinet positions or cancellation of penal sanactions for conscription.
In other words, Netanyahu is playing with a good hand, and the rest of the right-wing and hareidi parties are at best bluffing with a pair of deuces.
Isn’t this the same Shaked who headed the Shaked Committee, that wrote the Chareidi draft law with criminal sanctions? Can’t say I’ll be too sad to see her go.
#1 Shas and UTJ also lost seats. Likud SHOULD get most of the seats as they have 3x as many MKs as the next largest coalition partner.
67-8=59, not enough seats to form a government.
Lieberman will not sit with Meretz and the religious parties will not sit with Lapid.
So Bibi only has 3 choices: give Bennett what he wants, form a coalition with Herzog(who will ask for a lot more than Bennett, if he is even willing), or hold a new election.
If Bennett stays cool and patient he will get what he wants. Likud has no other good choice.