It is unclear if Yisrael Beitenu will enter the coalition as talks continue as the Wednesday 17 Iyar deadline approached. Avigdor Lieberman is demanding the continue serving as foreign minister and the Ministry of Aliyah & Absorption for Sofia Landver but Lieberman during the elections announced he would not enter into a coalition with the chareidim.
With Yahadut Hatorah on board and Shas likely to follow, it leaves Lieberman in a predicament with his voters, who will now see if his word is good.
Some predict that if Lieberman goes to the opposition, he is likely to fade form the political map in the next election. If he does not enter the coalition, a coalition made up of Likud (30), Kulanu (10), Bayit Yehudi (8), Shas (7) and Yahadut Hatorah (6) would only have a one seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Some feel if this is the case, the incoming coalition will last less time than the 19th Knesset which only ran out about half of its four-year term.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
A maximized coalition term is determined by its compatibility, not it’s size.
True that if the coalition were to be only 61 seats, every coalition party would have threatening power to demand what they want, but without lieberman means a happier Bennett (who would take the FM) and a more content chareidim.
Ultimately if all parties are happy, the coalition “lifetime ” can live it’s fullest under a stable agreement.
Having Sofia Landver at the Ministry of Aliyah & Absorption makes sense. Maybe after he has put together his coalition, Netanyahu will engineer a split in Yisrael Beitenu by offering the Ministry to Landver who may see the sense in her Russian constituency being influential in Government instead of standing like idiots on the side.