There is a great deal of tension among Likud ministerial hopefuls as faction members await the official announcement from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, which is likely to come on Tuesday, 23 Iyar. The following day, Wednesday, the new cabinet is scheduled to be sworn in.

If things go according to plan for PM Netanyahu, there will be 12 Likud ministers. The way things appear at present, Moshe Ya’alon will continue serving as defense minister and Silvan Shalom will continue serving as minister of national infrastructure, energy & water. Yisrael Katz will remain as minister of transportation but will upgraded with a seat on the Security Cabinet.

Ze’ev Elkin, who is close to the prime minister will become minister of absorption instead of Sofia Landver of Yisrael Beitenu. Elkin will also be the liaison between the cabinet and the Knesset.

Dr. Yuval Steinitz, who hoped to become justice minister, will serve as minister of the interior and appointment to the Security Cabinet.

Among those likely to be disappointed is Gilad Erdan who will serve as minister of public security. Landing the top slot in the party primaries, he expected a more senior post. He was among the audible voices expressing criticism of the decision to give the Ministry of Education to the Bayit Yehudi party.

New faces at the cabinet table will include Chaim Katz (Welfare Ministry), which Danny Danon was vying for as well. Yariv Levin, also close to the prime minister is likely to receive either the Ministry of Tourism or Ministry of Sport & Culture.

PM Netanyahu will serve a foreign minister while the deputy ministry will be given to Tzachi Hanegbi, who will maintain ministerial authority as no one will serve above him. Netanyahu confidant Dr. Binyamin Begin, who is not an MK, is likely to become a minister although it remains unknown where he will be assigned. His presence around the cabinet table provides another measure of support for the prime minister.

Both Gila Gamliel and Miri Regev are expected to serve as ministers as per promises made to them by the prime minister during the previous administration. The status of Tzipi Hotevely, who was a deputy minister in the former administration, remains to be determined. The prime minister may split a ministry to appoint her to a cabinet post or she may serve as a deputy minister once again.

Ofir Akunis and Danny Danon are going to battle it out for the last ministerial post. It appears Akunis is more likely to receive the appointment.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)