No time to celebrate as Gantz joins Bibi
The big winners of the recent unity agreement between Likud and Benny Gantz’s Hosen L’Yisrael (Israel Resilience) — besides the Israeli public — are Shas and United Torah Judaism. Every other party in the right-wing bloc will pay a heavy price for Gantz’s entrance into the coalition. The Likud will likely surrender the justice, foreign, and communication ministries, and jettison plans for judicial reform. Legislation to allow prime minister Netanyahu to serve while on trial is also questionable. Senior MKs in the top ten slots of the Likud list such as Nir Barkat and Gideon Saar are expected to come away empty handed.
Netanyahu is expected to use diplomatic appointments as a sop for disappointed loyalists. Four coveted ambassadorial posts will be vacated in the near future, allowing Netanyahu to send senior Likud figures to Washington, the United Nations, Moscow, and London. Another idea gaining traction is a rotation agreement for Likud ministerial positions, making room for more senior MKs to share the loot.
Other right-wing parties will also suffer. Yamina, a party of six seats that currently holds three respectable portfolios—defense, education, and transportation—will have to surrender at least two of those posts. The finance or education portfolio will likely go to party leader Naftali Bennet, and a less important ministry appointment for one of his party partners, Rafi Peretz or Betzalel Smotrich.
Only the chareidi parties will retain their government posts. Shas will keep the interior and religious affairs portfolios, and perhaps the ministry of the development of the Negev and the Galilee. UTJ will retain the chairmanship of the finance committee but as of this writing it’s unclear whether Moshe Litzman will continue to lead the health ministry.
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