While Kulanu party leader Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon insists he will not compromise on the IBA matter, willing to go to early elections, the chareidi parties do not share his position.

Kahlon has been going head to head with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, with the latter wishing to dissolve the Israel Broadcast Authority (IBA) to create a new entity, the Israel Public Broadcasting Authority (IPBA) in its place. Both senior cabinet officials state they are unwilling to compromise and are willing to call for early elections if need be.

Coalition leader MK (Likud) David Bitan told the media that Kahlon’s Kulanu party has ten seats and Naftali Bennet’s Bayit Yehudi party has eight seats and they must learn that the coalition is led by Likud and not them. This, insists Bitan is at the core of the crisis and not the IBA matter. Bitan explains PM Netanyahu is unwilling to continue in the coalition with partners who feel that can lead Likud instead of being led by the ruling party, which has thirty seats.

Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Yahadut Hatorah’s Moshe Gafne are working to solve the crisis. Deri announced he was meeting with Kahlon on Sunday morning 28 Adar, seeking to reach agreement to end the crisis. Deri is adamant that the coalition is a good one and elections would be a major error. Gafne concurs, explaining the coalition is solid and there is no need for early elections, calling for a solution to the crisis.

All recent polls indicate elections would result in a significant gain for the Yesh Atid party while both Shas and Yahadut Hatorah would remain within a seat of their current status. Bayit Yehudi would gain a number of seats.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)