Lapid-Netanyahu talks a success: Coalition to be announced soon

 

Yesh Atid report that the path for their party to enter a coalition gov’t has been paved.  Announcement to be made early next week. 

 

Senior Yesh Atid officials estimated on Friday morning that the path for their party to join the coalition has been paved. According to the officials, Israel’s new coalition will be presented at the start of the coming week.

Lapid - Netanyahu

The two sides drew conclusions regarding government portfolios and the fundamentals of the coalition.

So far, Lapid’s insistence on the Foreign Ministry has been the stumbling block to forming a government.

But Likud sources said Friday that they believe Lapid would drop his demand for the Foreign Ministry in exchange for funding for issues dear to his party. Yesh Atid would also receive the chairmanship of an additional Knesset committee or an additional ministerial post.

Those sources said they believed the finance portfolio would go to Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett, who expressed an interest in the position after Lapid turned it down.

By Thursday evening, one key issue had seemed close to a compromise − the size of the cabinet. Sources close to Netanyahu said the cabinet would have between 23 and 25 ministers and that a bill would be advanced for the following cabinet to have only 18 ministers − the maximum Lapid had demanded during the election campaign.

According to those discussions, Likud is to have six ministers, Yesh Atid five, Yisrael Beiteinu and Habayit Hayehudi three each, Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah two and Kadima one. Likud wanted to have two more ministries and give another minister each to Habayit Hayehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu, but Yesh Atid objected.

 

View original HAARETZ publication at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/party-officials-lapid-netanyahu-talks-fruitful-israeli-coalition-to-be-announced-early-next-week-1.508207