Report: Compromise reached between Smotrich, Deri, and Netanyahu

T. Belman.  Smotrich got Finance. TOI reported Smotrich “to still get say in West Bank policies”

Yesterday, Smoltich relented and pared down his demands “The specific defense responsibilities that Smotrich demanded to be transferred to him were those relating to civil administration in the West Bank, including taking over COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) and responsibility for enforcing the law in the West Bank’s open spaces.” We will see how much of that he got.

Ben Gvir  got Min of Agriculture. He may also have gotten Interior Min which was his primary choice.

Religious Zionism chair reportedly drops demand for Defense Min., will receive Finance Min. instead. Deri to receive 3 ministries.

Israel National News  Nov 21, 2022, 4:51 PM (GMT+2)

Netanyahu and Smotrich at their meetingIsrael National News-Arutz 7

It appears that a breakthrough has been reached in the coalition negotiation meeting between Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism party chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich Monday.

Under the new compromise, Smotrich would waIve his demands for the defense and religious affairs portfolios and would be appointed Finance Minister in the new government.

Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri, who had been demanding the finance portfolio, would receive theInterior Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministy, and the Negev and Galilee Ministry, and a member of the Shas party receive a position in the Prime Minister’s Office

The Otzma Yehudit party would receive the Agriculture Ministry, and MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf would be the most likely candidate to become Agriculture Minister.

Earlier, Otzma Yehudit chairman MK Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that if he is not given the opportunity to assist Israel’s periphery communities his party will not join the incoming government and remain in the opposition.

“We asked for the transportation or education portfolios. Unfortunately, we received a negative response, but then they offered us the periphery portfolio. My goal is tohelp the periphery. I live in Hebron and the settlements are dear to my heart, but the periphery is just as important to me,” Ben-Gvir said at the weekly Otzma Yehudit faction meeting.

“Yesterday was a difficult day when they broke the first commitment they gave us just a week ago. Without being able to restore order to the streets and without being able to help the periphery, the Negev and the Galilee – we will not be in the government, that’s what we were voted in for, and it’s part of our soul.”

November 21, 2022 | 10 Comments »

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  3. Reposting:

    Reader
    November 23, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    Likud’s dishonest manipulation of the talks:

    Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Wednesday, November 23, 2022
    Smotrich slams Likud’s ‘lies,’ urges it to ‘get serious’ about coalition talks
    Today, 6:24 pm
    (Olivier Fitoussi/ Flash90)

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/smotrich-slams-likuds-lies-urges-it-to-get-serious-about-coalition-talks/

    Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party accuses Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party of constantly leaking “lies” to the press as part of the coalition negotiations, alleging in a lengthy statement that Likud wants to “trample and humiliate and sideline” the far-right party.

    Religious Zionism says Likud “has unfortunately decided to hold negotiation meetings barely once every three days, and in between to leak spin to degrade us and to send armies of tweeters and ‘analysts’ to lie, curse and vulgarly berate us.”
    …………………………………………………………………………………
    “And last night, [Netanyahu] went back on all the agreements,” Religious Zionism charges. “We suggest that Likud start getting serious about the negotiation.”

    Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Wednesday, November 23, 2022
    Ignoring his accusations, Likud tells Smotrich to ease up, quickly form government
    Today, 6:46 pm

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ignoring-his-accusations-likud-tells-smotrich-to-let-go-on-jobs-quickly-form-government/

    The Likud party issues a one-sentence response to Religious Zionism’s lengthy statement airing its grievances in coalition talks, ignoring the accusations and urging Bezalel Smotrich to be more flexible in his demands for portfolios and other positions and quickly form a government.

    “Bezalel, on a day of murderous terror attacks in which the public expects the formation of a government that will restore Israeli citizens’ security, drop the insistence on jobs and come sign this evening on forming a fully right-wing government,” Likud says.

    I hope the negotiations fail and there is another election, and Likud gets ZERO seats.

  4. 17:45

    Progress in negotiations between the Likud and the Religious Zionist Party: the responsibilities of the Civil Administration in dealing with the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria will be transferred to the Finance Ministry, where MK Bezalel Smotrich will serve, reports Globes reporter Shirit Avitan.

    Is Civil Administration dealing with the Jewish residents of J&S different from Civil Administration deal with Area C?

    Unfortunately, I think so. Until clarified, I don’t think he is empowered to deal with illegal arab construction and extending sovereignty to Area C. Watch for this to be clarified.

  5. This is great news. I hope its the last word.

    A senior source within the Likud says his party has no issue appointing MK Bezalel Smotrich to head the Civil Administration responsible for governing Judea and Samaria.

    “This is just another example of the false reporting that makes it harder for us to form a right-wing government,” he was quoted as saying.

  6. Sources in the Likud are afraid of the Biden administration and refusing to give Chairman of the Religious Zionism party the responsibility for the civil administration in Judea and Samaria.

  9. I was going to wait until I knew for certain what portfolios each party got..
    But assuming my speculation is correct, I totally approve what went down. All parties should be congratulated for fighting hard for what they wanted and in the end came up with a fair distribution of power..Smotrich got finance and the management of Area C. Likud got Defense among many other portfolios. Ben Gvir got Internal security with expanded power over the police and Agriculture.
    I am not sure what Finance entails but at a minimum it has to do with creating a budget that allocates money to the various ministries.

    My primary concern was that Smotrich and Ben Gvir got what they wanted and I believe they did.

    Not mentioned is that Bibi got what he wanted. Exculpation and the end of his persecution. . I am sure the override legislation has also been agreed to. And then there is reform of Justice. I woul like to see how these crucial matters went down.

    2