Likud and Religious Zionism revealed this morning (Monday) the annex to the coalition agreement they signed, in which it was agreed that the chairman of the party Bezalel Smotrich He will be appointed Minister of Finance in the first half of the government, and will then serve as Minister of the Interior.
Close to Smotrich and highly regarded: the candidate for the position of Director General of the Ministry of Finance
After the progress in the coalition negotiations, Netanyahu has to decide: who will be the next foreign minister?
It was also agreed between the parties that religious Zionism will receive the immigration and absorption file, the settlement file and a file in the Ministry of Defense that will be in charge of the Civil Administration in the Territories. In addition, a member of Knesset from religious Zionism will head the Law, Constitution and Law Committee and another member of Knesset will serve as deputy minister as chosen by party chairman Smotrich.
In the meantime, it was agreed that the state’s answers to the High Court on settlement issues, which are under the responsibility of the minister in charge of the civil administration in the territories, will be with Smotrich’s approval and in coordination with Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu.
Another area on which the parties agreed to change is the Jewish identity unit that will be transferred from the Ministry of Religion to the Ministry of National Missions (the expanded Ministry of Settlement), as well as the Jewish Culture Division that will also be transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of National Missions.
On the other hand, outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid attacked the agreement and tweeted on his Twitter account: “According to the agreement between the Likud and religious Zionism, Smotrich will appoint the coordinator of operations in the territories and the head of the Civil Administration, a general and a lieutenant colonel in the IDF who until today were appointed by the Chief of Staff. Netanyahu sold The IDF to the Hardalim.”
According to the agreement between the Likud and religious Zionism, Smotrich will appoint the coordinator of operations in the territories and the head of the Civil Administration, a colonel and lieutenant colonel in the IDF who until now have been appointed by the Chief of Staff. Netanyahu sold the IDF to the Hardalim.
— Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) December 5, 2022
MK Gadi Eisenkot (the state camp) also commented on the agreement, saying: “The agreement between religious Zionism and Likud, which includes the transfer of sweeping powers to a minister who is not the defense minister, is an unprecedented act in the history of the IDF and the defense establishment. It constitutes an undermining of the authority and responsibility of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff and the transformation of legal advice into political advice instead of professional and state advice.”
MK Gilad Karib (Labor): “The appropriate title for the dangerous agreement: “Netanyahu: In Balfour I founded the binational state. The agreement accelerates the creeping annexation of the Palestinian Territories and subordinates the security considerations of the State of Israel to the narrow interests of the settlement enterprise. Netanyahu can To flaunt to his heart’s content the agreement according to which the actions will be carried out with the consent of the Prime Minister. In practice, the agreement gives birth to a bureaucratic, budgetary and legal monster with one goal – the promotion of de facto annexation, the training of the illegal outposts and the deepening of direct Israeli control over the lives of the Palestinians.”
Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90)The Likud stated in response to the agreement: “After years of discriminating against the settlers, the government led by Netanyahu will correct a historical injustice and lead an equal citizenship reform for the settlers of Judea and Samaria, without changing the political or legal status of the territory. The powers of the coordinator of operations in the territories and the civil administration remain in the Ministry of Defense, in the legal structure existing”.
“The decisions of the minister in charge regarding the Palestinian Authority and the Civil Administration will be made in full coordination and with the consent of the Prime Minister, who will continue to manage the policy with responsibility and discretion,” she added, “contrary to the false reports, the signing of orders in the area of Judea and Samaria will continue to be done by the commander of the Central Command, and the answers The High Court will be done in coordination with all the parties and with the agreement of the Prime Minister. The new arrangement will enable a better and more efficient service for the citizens of Israel in Judea and Samaria, something that was requested many years ago, without changing the political status quo there.”