On Tuesday 2 Iyar Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will have to come to the President’s Residence to request a 14-day extension to permit him to assemble his coalition government. The current mandate will be expiring.
While many believed the coalition building process would be less than complicated, PM Netanyahu has not yet signed coalition agreements with various parties. There are reports that he may sign agreements with the chareidi parties on Sunday, 1 Rosh Chodesh Iyar. It is also being reported that the Kulanu party headed by Moshe Kahlon, which has ten seats, is not overly anxious to sign on the dotted line with Likud. Kahlon earned his support during elections promising widespread housing reform, and towards achieving this noble goal he demands control of the Finance Ministry, Housing Ministry, Israel Lands Administration and the Knesset Finance Committee. The latter has already been promised to Yahadut Hatorah to permit MK Moshe Gafne to return to his former position. It does not appear likely that PM Netanyahu is willing to break his promise to Gafne even though an agreement with Yahadut Hatorah has yet to be signed.
Kahlon also seeks control of the Interior Ministry’s District Planning Board as part of his master plan to lower the cost of housing.
The request for an extension from the president is basically a formality and Mr. Netanyahu will likely receive an additional two weeks during which he must sign on the various parties to build a new coalition government. It is still rumored that the prime minister is meeting in secret with Yitzchak Herzog to bring the Labor party on board with its 24 seats.
One possible coalition with Labor is Likud (30), Labor (24) Yahadut Hatorah (6), Shas (7) and possibly Kulanu (10).
Bayit Yehudi, which feels betrayed, accuses the prime minister of conducting secret talks towards building a national unity government with Labor, which represents simply lying to voters for he promised them a right-wing coalition that includes Bayit Yehudi.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
If Bayit Yehudi wanted a right-religious government, they would have agree dto support one. Likud would gladly have kept the Foreign Ministry within Likud rather than considering the chance of offering it to Labor. Bennett is a bit too egotistical and too greedy for his own good.
Bennett is correct, most voters will feel betrayed with a unity government. If so, voters would have voted for Yachad & Bayit Yehudi instead!!
There is never honesty or kept promises in POLITICS!
The country Does want fundamental societal change
The country also wants something intangible that transcends borders , regions and subcontinents
[albeit that they are incapable of articulating it]