A coalition agreement was reached between Likud and religious Zionism.
According to the agreement reached, religious Zionism will receive the Ministry of Finance in rotation, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Ministry of National Missions. In addition, a minister of religious Zionism will also serve as a minister in the Ministry of Defense in charge of settlements in Judea and Samaria who will act with the coordination and agreement of the Prime Minister. Religious Zionism will also get a deputy minister, the chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice and Religious Services Committee who will lead the reform of the legal system in the Knesset and the chairman of the Reforms Committee.
The Likud faction and religious Zionism reached a conclusion today on a document on roles and areas of action. In addition to this document, detailed coalition agreements will establish basic guidelines, the regulation of issues of Jewish identity, education, law, settlement and society, and detailed budget summaries.
Prime Minister Designated MK Benjamin Netanyahu:
“This is another significant step that brings us closer to establishing a national right-wing government that will take care of all the citizens of Israel. I thank the chairman of religious Zionism for the partnership and am convinced that we will work together in fruitful cooperation for the sake of the people of Israel.’
Chairman of Religious Zionism MK Bezalel Smotrich:
“We are taking another historic step today to establish a Jewish, Zionist and national government that will restore security and governance, promote historic reform in the legal system, regulate and develop the settlement enterprise, strengthen Jewish identity in the spirit of religious Zionism and proudly wave the flag of Zionism, the absorption of Aliyah and society in Israel. I thank Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu for the trust, and my friend, MK Yariv Levin, for leading the efforts to establish the government with professionalism, friendship and fairness. Together we will do a lot of good for the State of Israel and work hard for all the citizens of Israel.”
Chairman of Otzma Yehudit MK Itamar Ben Gabir who had already signed an agreement with the Likud, wrote after the publication:
Congratulate my friends Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and the chairman of religious Zionism Bezalel Smotrich who signed an agreement to establish a right-wing government, and also calls on our other partners to sign quickly and establish a full right-wing government together, in order to get Israel back on track.
The division of cases that is evident in religious Zionism:
Bezalel Smotritz‘ Minister of Finance, Ofir Sofer reception minister, Orit Struck Minister of National Missions and Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Tel fan Deputy Minister, Simcha Rothman Chairman of the Constitution and Religious Services Committee and Michal Waldiger Chairman of the Reforms Committee.
After signing the agreements with religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, it remains to sign with the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and Torah Judaism, which are flexing their muscles a bit these days, following “disdain for ultra-Orthodox partners” according to party officials.
The reasonable estimate at the moment is that this coming Monday, when the Knesset plenum convenes, a Knesset speaker will be appointed on behalf of the Likud, replacing his predecessor MK Meir Cohen Mish Atid, and thus begin to promote a number of necessary laws before the formation of the government.
Such as: a law that will allow the MK to be appointed Aryeh Deri to the minister, despite the settlement of the argument in his case with the court, as well as the amendment of the law to the police order, which will extend powers to the minister of internal (national) security, the escalation clause and more.
A few days later, the additional agreements will be signed, the remaining files will be distributed to Likud members, and the government will be formed.