Officials from both parties say deal is likely to be signed in coming days; former settler leader Ariel to be given Housing portfolio.
Likud Beytenu and the Bayit Yehudi are likely to sign a coalition agreement in the coming days, sources in both parties said on Tuesday.
The final deal is likely to give the Construction and Housing portfolio to MK Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), a former Yesha Council secretary-general, which could allow for expansion of settlements, even though during the election campaign Likud Beytenu said it would keep the ministry for itself.
While the two parties have not yet discussed portfolios, Likud sources said the party plans to offer the Housing Ministry to Ariel, who is second on the Bayit Yehudi list and leader of its negotiating team. Likud Beytenu has previously leaked offers to the press before relaying them directly to the Bayit Yehudi.
The two parties plan to meet on Wednesday, following a meeting that lasted from Monday night until 3 a.m. Tuesday in which “significant progress was reached in a long line of issues,” according to a Likud spokeswoman.
“The Likud believes we can finish the negotiations for Bayit Yehudi to join the government led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu immediately,” she added.
Bayit Yehudi is also expected to present its plan for equality in the burden of national service on Wednesday, which a Likud source said the party is likely to adopt.
A source close to the Bayit Yehudi negotiating team said that the party’s plan for haredi enlistment was coordinated with Yesh Atid, and that the agreement between the two parties is still strong.
However, a Yesh Atid spokesman said “all options are open” when it comes to coalition or opposition, and it seems that Yair Lapid’s party is preparing for the latter possibility.
Lapid made an appointment with Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On for next week, indicating that he will go head-to-head with Labor chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich for the position of opposition leader.
While opposition leader automatically goes to the head of the largest party outside of the government, which would be Lapid if he stays out of the coalition, a majority of MKs in the opposition can vote in a different leader.
Yacimovich recently met with opposition party leaders to ask for their support.
Gal-On’s spokeswoman said she is inclined to support Yacimovich for the position, but will discuss the matter with the Meretz faction.
Arab parties are also likely to back the Labor leader, especially after Lapid coined the term “Zoabis” to describe Arab MKs, referencing controversial Balad MK Haneen Zoabi. The Yesh Atid leader apologized for the comment earlier this month.
Also on Tuesday, Channel 2 released a poll showing that, if a new election were held, Likud Beytenu would still win, with 28 seats, but with an even smaller margin over Yesh Atid, which would get 24 seats.
The Bayit Yehudi would gain two seats to get 14 altogether, while Shas and Meretz would go up one each, to 12 and seven, respectively.
The Tzipi Livni Party would lose half of its seats, getting only three, and Labor would lose three and have 12.
United Torah Judaism (7), Hadash (4), UAL-Ta’al (4), Balad (3) and Kadima (2) would remain the same, according to the Channel 2 poll.
I dont know the governing structure but if BB brings in the range of parties he is talking about then wont he have a majority of one side or the other for individual votes on individual issues. IN other words wont LB be the swing vote determining most issues? In other words wouldn’t the govt remain in place even if a party votes no on an issue and/or leaves? Or is he required by prior agreement to support positions of parties entering coalition? Wouldn’t he be in a position to swing on individual issues between different coalition members? If true how would one know which way he was going to swing in the future; are the individual party coalition agreements available to the public? Is the commitment just one of portfolios or are there prior commitments to support specific proposals? HOw binding are prior agreements to support specific proposals?
yamit82 Said:
Lapid and Bennett are doing something unique and unprecedented in Israeli politics. They are insisting on sticking to their principles and on listening to their voters. They have no choice because they understand if they compromise on them they are finished. The cynical Netanyahu on the other hand has no principles and no ideology except keeping power. If that really matters to him, he may well as you put it, agree to his partners’ demands but we have a ways to go before that will happen.
NormanF Said:
BB would never risk new elections.. Lapid stands to become the largest party and BB would be finished politically. Seems the more Lapid resists joining the coalition the stronger he becomes in the polls.
He still has a little over 2 weeks to form a coalition and may wait to the last moment to cave in totally. As long as Bennett and Lapid stick together BB has no position. He will cave to all their demands.
There is no deal because Netanyahu won’t commit to any real reforms.
If he continues this way, new elections are all but inevitable.