Coalition Talks Continue With Less Than a Week to Deadline

Talks between Likud/Beitenu, Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi are continuing and while progress is reported, a deal has not been signed. Today, Sunday, 28 Adar 5773 talks are continuing with less than a week remaining in the extended presidential mandate to form a coalition government. By now it is obvious to all that the issues of ideology and election promises to voters by Likud/Beitenu have fallen to the wayside and it is all about signing the parties on the line to permit Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to present his cabinet to the Knesset and President Shimon Peres.

It is interesting that in his talks with the prime minister, Naftali Bennett opted to make the sharing the burden ‘the’ issue, permitting him to align with Yesh Atid leader Yair Bennett when in fact, the matter of the future of the yishuvim become a secondary or tertiary issue to the bewilderment of many a right-wing voter. In actuality, by aligning with Lapid as a result of their common sharing the burden interest, he actually weakened his stand on the future of communities in Yehuda and Shomron, where the chareidim in a religious bloc would have strengthened him while Lapid will not.

According to a Channel 2 News report, despite Lapid’s insistence on a cabinet with 18 ministers, in actuality, that number will be closer to 24 or event 25. This does not include deputy ministers. It does appear that the government will include Yesh Atid, Bayit Yehudi, Kadima and The Movement, while Shas, Yahadut Hatorah, Labor and the Arabs remain in opposition.

There are various reports as to the ministerial appointments, which have not yet been finalized. According to Maariv, the new cabinet will look something like this:

As one can see, many portfolios are still up in the air with a number of candidates and parties vying for the same slots. This is the Maariv version only.

1. Absorption – Sofia Landver (Likud/Beitenu)

2. Agriculture – Fania Kirshenbaum (Likud/Beitenu)

3. Communications or Sport & Culture – Limor Livnat (Likud/Beitenu)

4. Defense– Moshe Ya’alon (Likud/Beitenu)

5. Education – Gideon Saar (Yisrael/Beitenu)

6. Education or Welfare – Rabbi Shai Piron (Yesh Atid)

7. Environmental Affairs or Deputy Minister – Amir Peretz (The Movement)

8. Finance– Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid)

9. Foreign – held by the prime minister pending outcome of Avigdor Lieberman’s trial.

10. Housing – Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi)

11. Industry & Trade – Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) (He will also be a deputy prime minister)

12. Interior – Yael German (Yesh Atid)