Yael Sara Rep, knitted news08.12.22 13:02 14 in Kislo Tishpag
Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90
After he finished handing out the positions to the coalition partners, Netanyahu frees himself to deal with the members of the Knesset from the Likud, who since the elections have been uncertain about the position they will hold. After the negotiating teams reached agreements regarding the positions with all the partners in the coalition, Likud has 27 positions left, including 17 government ministries, 10 committee heads and deputy ministers, if no further splits are made between the government ministries.
Yesterday, Netanyahu began the meetings with the Likud members, when each went into a meeting with him in which he told him what position he was interested in. Netanyahu will finish hearing everyone’s wishes and then inform them of the position they will hold in the next Knesset. The division of positions is being held against the backdrop of outrage from many senior Likud officials who claim that Netanyahu and Rival Levin surrendered to partners and did not leave enough senior cases to the Likud.
In the meantime, senior officials tried to apply pressure in various ways, with MK David Bitan, who is still angry with Netanyahu due to the primaries and does not expect to receive a position as a member of Knesset members Israel Katz, Dodi Amsalem and Danny Danon, in an attempt by the latter to apply pressure to receive a position. Now, according to sources in the Likud, their threats that they would not cooperate have apparently paid off, when according to various sources Dodi Amsalem is expected to take over the coveted position of Speaker of the Knesset.
The Likud celebration on the eve of the election results. Photo: Gili Yaari, Flash 90
If Netanyahu did make a decision to dissolve the Bitan-Katz-Amsalam axis, then it is possible that Israel Katz will also get the position he desires and serve as foreign minister, a position in which Amir Ohana, who is close to Netanyahu, is also interested. In the meantime, yesterday Netanyahu met again with Ron Dermer, the former United States ambassador, whom he initially wanted to appoint to the position of foreign minister and whose appointment may be a solution to the selection of senior Likud officials.
However, Likud officials claim that the external appointment of a person who was not elected in the primaries will incite anger among the senior officials, who are already complaining that there are not enough high-ranking cases left in Likud. In a situation where Dermer will serve as foreign minister, the only senior position that will remain in Likud’s hands will be the justice minister, who is expected to be Levin’s opponent, as well as the defense minister, who will be stripped of some of his powers following the agreements with Ben Gabir and Smotrich.
Another ministry that is being broken up into different entities is the Ministry of Education, which will not only be transferred to religious Zionism in the middle of the term, but also part of it will be transferred to Shas which will hold a director of society and youth, the unit for Jewish culture and the Hamad Council will be transferred to religious Zionism and the unit for external programs will be held by Avi Maoz.
In addition, if the demands of Torah Judaism are met, private education will receive many budgets that weaken the control of the Ministry of Education. As a result, Miri Regev and Eli Cohen, who were supposed to be divided between the positions of Minister of Education and Minister of Transportation, are now both interested in the Ministry of Transportation.
According to Likud sources, MK Eli Cohen, the senior of the two on the list, met with Netanyahu twice yesterday, when in the first meeting he asked for the education file, and in the second meeting he realized that it was a partial file, so he withdrew and asked for the Ministry of Transportation. Likud officials claim that it is possible that Cohen will finally compromise and return to the economic portfolio.
In addition, Gila Gamaliel is expected to receive the Ministry of Environment, which she also held in the past, and there is a consensus in the party regarding an appointment to the position, MK Miki Zohar is expected to receive the Ministry of Culture and Sports, while the Ministry of Communications is expected to go to Akunis or Kish.
While according to the estimates of various parties in Likud – Amichai Shikli may receive the diaspora portfolio, Dichter the Ministry of Intelligence or the Ministry of Regional Cooperation, Haim Katz if he can serve as minister may receive the tourism or energy portfolio.
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