MK Yariv Levine (Likud), who was selected by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as the new Knesset speaker in the upcoming government was unanimously voted in the position by the Likud on Tuesday night.

Levin’s appointment still requires approval by a Knesset vote.

Levin stepped down from his position as tourism minister and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz stepped down from his short stint as Knesset speaker in anticipation of entering his position as the incoming defense minister, replacing Yamina leader Naftali Bennett.

A Channel 12 News report said on Tuesday that Netanyahu offered the education ministry to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud). However, a Kan News report said that Netanyahu was saving the education ministry for Yamina in case the party still decides to join the government, with the current education minister being Yamina leader Rabbi Rafi Peretz.

Also on Tuesday night, former Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) accepted Netanyahu’s offer to be the next health minister, as incumbent health minister Yaakov Litzman prepares to move to the housing ministry.

The swearing-in of Israel’s new government, which was delayed to late Thursday night after 10 p.m, will be the first time Israel has a functioning government in almost a month and a half, following three elections that ended in a political stalemate.

The swearing-in will be preceded by a special Knesset session at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, with a vote for Yariv Levin’s candidacy for Knesset speaker at 10 p.m. [Since outgoing Knesset speaker Benny Gantz resigned his position at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, a new speaker cannot be voted in until 48 hours later, when the resignation goes into effect.]

The swearing-in of the government was originally supposed to take place at 1 p.m. on Thursday but it was delayed due to the fact that all coalition agreements must be finalized and submitted to the Knesset 24 hours before the Knesset’s vote of confidence in the new government prior to the swearing-in. No coalition agreements were submitted on Wednesday by 1 p.m.

Yamina, which has publicly been sparring with Netanyahu this week is reportedly currently in negotiation with Netanyahu on Thursday afternoon for a deal that would pave its way into the unity government.

The national-religious party announced on Sunday that they are not joining the new government, slamming Netanyahu for making concessions to left-leaning Blue and White MKs. However, reports said they refused to join the government because they were refused the senior ministerial positions they demanded.

A war of words between Netanyahu and Yamina ensued, which only intensified when Netanyahu appointed former Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein as the next health minister as Yamina leader Naftali Bennett had expressed interest in receiving the position for himself.

Netanyahu claimed in a video statement that he wants Yamina to remain in the right-wing bloc and join the government but they are choosing to leave due to their excessive demand for four ministries despite the party only having six Knesset seats, stressing that UTJ and Shas, which have 16 seats altogether, only requested 3 ministries.

The chairmen of UTJ and Shas are reportedly intervening on behalf of Yamina on Thursday and has asked Netanyahu to ensure that Yamina remains in the right-wing bloc.

אני רוצה את כל גוש הימין בקואליציה. למה ימינה עדיין מתעקשת להישאר באופוזיציה? צפו: pic.twitter.com/jQ0PMN7kdD

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 12, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)