With deadline looming, Netanyahu under pressure to finalise coalition talks

With four days to deadline, Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure to finalise the almost month-long coalition negotiations with his far-right and ultra-orthodox partners. 

Senior Likud official Micky Zohar told Jewish News “We are very close to finishing with everyone. I hope we will have a government in the next two weeks.”

A number of agreements have been signed so far, but some issues remain to be resolved, mainly with Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ).

UTJ signed an interim deal with Likud on Tuesday giving the party control over the Housing and Construction Ministry.

According to Haaretz, UTJ also gets the Jerusalem Affairs Ministry, chairmanships of the Knesset Finance Committee, Knesset’s Interior and Environment Committee, the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee, and deputy ministry portfolios in the Transportation Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office.

The most controversial agreements, however, will see far-right leaders Itamar Ben-Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich as National Security Minister and Finance Minister respectively.

While Ben-Gvir managed to get his role expanded so that it oversees police in the West Bank, Smotrich also negotiated his way to crucial and unprecedented access to areas that normally fall under the Defence Ministry.

Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party will be on control of appointing the head of the head of COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) and of the Israeli Civil Administration in coordination, two crucial posts that oversee daily life in the West Bank in particular.

COGAT, which also deals with matters related to Gaza, such as deciding which goods go in and out of the Strip, is responsible for overseeing implementation of government policies in the West Bank.

The agreement caused uproar among former and current defence officials, with IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi reportedly saying “I won’t allow any interference in the appointment of IDF generals. There is no possibility of this happening.”

Defence Minister Benny Gantz also railed against the agreement, warning the incoming defence minister, who will likely be Likud’s Yoav Gallant, that he will be reduced to a “second class defence minister.”

“Smotrich will appoint a major general and brigadier-general in the army according to how he perceives the size of their kippa and the fervour of their faith,” Gantz said.

Shas is expected to receive the Interior and Health Ministries, with party leader Arieh Dery possibly heading both. Dery was convicted of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in 2000 during his time as Interior Minister, and was given three years in jail.

Earlier this year, Dery was forced to resign from Knesset as part of a plea deal after being convicted of tax offences.

Lastly, the controversial anti-LGBTQ Noam party, headed by Avi Maoz, has been given a newly created department that deals with “Jewish identity,” while getting responsibility for external programming which falls under the Education Ministry.