As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his negotiators are working to assemble a coalition government, one of the main stumbling blocks is the talks with the Bayit Yehudi party. Party leader Naftali Bennett reportedly remains firm in his demand to serve a foreign minister but Prime Minister Netanyahu has already signaled this is unrealistic since that senior portfolio is going to Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beitenu party. To Bennett’s frustration and perhaps anger, his party earned 8 seats in the election while Yisrael Beitenu only earned 6.
Reports cite that demands for funding by Bayit Yehudi is not viewed as problematic by Likud, but rather ministerial portfolios seem to be holding up reaching agreement.
Bayit Yehudi wants to maintain control of the Knesset Finance Committee, which has unofficially been given to Yahadut Hatorah. Kulanu also wants that committee leadership post. Bayit Yehudi wants to continue maintaining control of the Ministry of Religious Services, which is reportedly promised to Shas. The dati leumi party also wants the Ministry of the Interior, which appears headed for Shas or Kulanu.
While PM Netanyahu and Likud officials have released statements that a coalition with the Labor party is not going to happen, Bayit Yehudi warns the prime minister is distancing his party intentionally, hoping to sign a deal with the Labor party despite promises to the contrary.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
My Buba thinks that Netanyahu should consult with the roshei yeshivos how to proceed
Both Bayit Yehudi and Kulanu will get their way because Netanyahu doesn’t have 61 MKs without them. Netanyahu can tell either YTJ or Yisrael Beitanu to go be in opposition and still have a government.
This Bennett is the opposition even when he’s in the government. His slyness even pales that of the fox.
As we are reciting everyday in Hallel this week of Pesach, this character is the classical example of a “Yordei Dumoh”
So Bayit Yehudi would rather have a Left-Center government that would destroy everything his party has worked for?
“destroy everything his party has worked for”
Actually it looks like Netanyahu is doing that, promising the Charedi parties that he will reverse the reforms in religious services that Bennett made a major part of both his campaigns. Were Bennett to cave on those — over the opposition of the rabbis who support his party — there wouldn’t be much left of the idea that Bayit Yehudi is a religious party.
akuperma: The same can be said of every party. Everyone is jockeying for position. This is nothing new.
If you say this about Bennett, honesty would mean you;d have to say it about the Chareidi parties too and all the rest.
#3. Bennett is the only one that keeps Netanyahu straight. Otherwise he caves in most of the time.