According to all reports, Labor leader Ehud Barak is exerting enormous efforts to enter into the coalition. This is confirmed by a number of sources, in Labor, Likud and elsewhere.

According to reports, Binyamin Netanyahu is willing to exclude Ichud HaLeumi from the new coalition if that is the price of bringing in Labor, ousting the party’s MK, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, who is a follower of Rabbi Meir Kahane and deemed as persona non grata by Laborites.

This would make entering the coalition more palatable to Labor, which according to reports is being offered 5 cabinet portfolios. This would permit Barak to continue serving as defense minister, while ‘buying’ the support of Ofir Pines, who would become justice minister, and Shelly Yacimovitz, who would serve as minister of industry & trade. Barak hopes this would minimize the internal party opposition, while ensuring Daniel Friedman does not serve another term as justice minister, which is one of the requests of Yisrael Beitenu.

Amir Peretz, who has already announced his bid to retake the Labor leadership slot, has stated he hears that Barak is in advanced stages of coalition talks, warning any agreement signed by the party leader would leave him without a party behind him.

At present, Barak does not have enough support to convene the party’s central committee governing body, but if he can present an impressive package from Likud, he may be able to persuade some of the key players, including Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Yitzchak Herzog and Shalom Simchon, he may then be capable of changing the mind of the governing board and move ahead with his plan to enter the government.

In the meantime, Barak is operating in a vacuum, a lone voice in the party in support of joining the coalition as party leaders are openly calling to end talks and join the opposition.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)