According to a report filed by Channel 2 at Six’s Rena Matzliach, the likelihood of seeing Shas or other chareidim in the new coalition government is slim at present, for the issue of sharing the burden dominates coalition talks and she does not see how the chareidim will be able to join such an arrangement.
While President Shimon Peres has yet to begin meeting with party leaders, yet alone giving the presidential mandate to form a coalition, the talks have begun in earnest, albeit unofficially. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has spoken with leaders of a number of parties, including Yesh Atid, Bayit HaYehudi and Shas, signaling a desire to meet and talk towards establishing a common policy line that would permit joining the coalition.
Walla News has quoted a senior Likud source anonymously stating “Netanyahu wants Naftali Bennett in the coalition”, possibly signaling the government coalition may be more right-wing that some media analysts speculate.
Other reports label Shas “a natural coalition partner” but in actuality, Mr. Netanyahu will conduct talks first and foremost with the largest coalition partner, Yesh Atid, with 19 seats. Lapid and some of his colleagues have announced they are not going to exhibit any flexibility on the share the burden issue, and number two on the party lineup, Rabbi Shai Piron added the part will also insist on trimming the government but cutting the number of cabinet posts from 28 to 18, with the latter representing the number that was honored by all government until a number of years ago.
If Mr. Netanyahu signs Yesh Atid on to his coalition, it will be increasingly difficult for Shas and Yahadut Hatorah to find a comfort zone that will permit Gedolei Torah Shlita to give the green light to join such a coalition.
Interestingly, one scenario that is far from unlikely in Israel is that Mr. Netanyahu will establish a narrow coalition including Yesh Atid and Bayit HaYehudi, and only after the share the burden issue is a fait accompli, bring the chareidim on board. While this may sound harsh, it is indeed possible, similar to the move by then Prime Minister Menachem Begin over 35 years ago, for the chareidim have other issues of paramount importance, including housing for young couples, funding for mosdos and funding for religious services.
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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Why would Netanyahu even consider including Shas in their coalition after all the terrible and generally false alleghations made by Deri and Yosef during the campaign about the desire of the non-religious parties to “destroy” all the yeshivos by drafting all the kollel yungerleit into the IDF. Including them would only reopen the door to the type of political extortion and blackmail we have seen in recent years when they don’t get their way on funding for their mosdos or dozens of other items.
Given the outcome of the election, the other issues such as “housing for young couples, funding for mosdos and funding for religious services” are likely to target young couples, mosdos and religious services that benefit the mainstream of zionist Israelis, and not the type of people that Shas draws it support on. We can expect that, for example, housing subsidies will give first priority to veterans, and the funding for mosdos will be tied to their support for conscription.
Remember that if Netanyahu needs a bigger coalition, two parties (Livni and what’s left of Kadimah) are basically parties of ex-Likudnik who will be easy to cut a deal with.
“Gadolhadora”, it is RAV Yosef.