70-strong Israeli coalition nearing completion

[oberliner]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made considerable progress toward building what is set to be a 70-strong coalition, sources close to the negotiations said Friday evening. They stressed, however, that the key deals had yet to be signed, and nothing would be concrete until they were.

The coalition, set to be finalized early next week, will comprise Netanyahu’s Likud-Beytenu (31 seats), Yesh Atid (19), Jewish Home (12), Hatnua (6) and Kadima (2). Labor would lead the opposition, in which the two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, would also sit, the sources said.

They added that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who had hoped to become foreign minister, will instead serve as finance minister. Jewish Home chief Naftali Bennett will be minister of trade and industry. The Foreign Ministry post will be kept open for former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman, who resigned in December to fight corruption charges and hopes to return quickly to the post after clearing his name.

The defense minister is likely to be former IDF chief of the General Staff Moshe Ya’alon (Likud), housing could well go to Jewish Home’s Uri Ariel, while the same party’s Eli Ben Dahan could take religious affairs, and Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz could become minister of welfare. Many ministerial positions, in a cabinet set to number 23-25 ministers, have yet to be finalized, the sources said.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/70-strong-israeli-coalition-nearing-completion/

Secular parties in, religious parties out. Very interesting.

[azurnoir]

1. ah extremist settlers in religious folks out

yep that's interesting alright

[oberliner]

2. Yeah, I agree

It's weird - you'd think they would be natural allies, yet they are on opposite ends on the government moving forward.

The whole coalition system is very strange to me. I prefer the way we do it here in the US, personally. Though it might just be because that's what I am used to.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. You never mentioned in one of your OPs and replies if you believe a Lapid/Bennet

would be bad news for he religious cast in Israel.

I don't believe, as some do, that a draft and curtailing of funds to the Ultra Orthodox will be as bad as some might believe.

You?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

4. Crickets.

[oberliner]

6. I don't really understand what your question is asking

Can you clarify?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

10. Can you clarify? Sure.

Last edited Sun Mar 10, 2013, 12:21 PM - Edit history (1)

You never mentioned in one of your OPs and replies if you believe a Lapid/Bennet team up would be bad news for he religious cast in Israel.

I don't believe, as some do, that a draft and curtailing of funds to the Ultra Orthodox will be as bad as some might believe.

You?

[oberliner]

11. Still don't get it

What is "he religious cast in Israel" ?

I am thinking maybe "he" was supposed to be "the" but "the religious cast in Israel" still doesn't make sense to me.

Are you asking if the Lapid/Bennet alliance will hurt the ultra-Orthodox?

If so, I don't know the answer to that. I know they seem not keen on it from what I have read.

[sabbat hunter]

5. I think itis because

a lot of the settlers belong to Shas or united torah.

With them out of the government, not only will you be able to push thru drafting ultra orthodox men and women, they will also be able to reduce fundings to their religions yeshivas and direct funds to more secular causes.

I would prefer to see United Jewish out and Labor and Meretz in the coalition, thereby isolating all the religious based parties to the opposition, and creating a stronger coalition.
I also do not like the fact that Bibi is being allowed to keep the foreign minister position open for Lieberman until his trial is over.

[oberliner]

7. Good points

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[Israeli]

8. Incorrect

a lot of the settlers belong to Shas or united torah.

Think you need to re-think :
http://peacenow.org.il/eng/VotingPaterns

I would prefer to see United Jewish out and Labor and Meretz in the coalition, thereby isolating all the religious based parties to the opposition, and creating a stronger coalition.
I also do not like the fact that Bibi is being allowed to keep the foreign minister position open for Lieberman until his trial is over.

So would I but it aint gonna happen .

[oberliner]

9. No - actually you are incorrect

In fact, the link that you provided supports what the other poster wrote.

To wit:

The ultraorthodox parties received an accumulated support of almost 28% (“Yahadut Hatora” – 17.1%; “Shas” – 9.5%), significantly higher than the 15% votes received by the general public.

[sabbat hunter]

12. umm the article states exactly what I said

The most popular party among the setters was the “Bait Hayehudi” party, with nearly 28% of the votes, over 3 times higher than the 9% support the party received among the general Israeli public.

The ultraorthodox parties received an accumulated support of almost 28% (“Yahadut Hatora” – 17.1%; “Shas” – 9.5%), significantly higher than the 15% votes received by the general public.

Bait Hayedhudi or Jewish home is a successor to the National Religious Party. My only error was not including them in the party that the settlers belong to/vote for.


And of course if Lieberman is convicted, that will keep him out of the cabinet.

[Israeli]

13. misunderstanding

I was reacting to this of yours :

Secular parties in, religious parties out

Bait Hayehudi are anything but secular .

[Ken Burch]

15. It would be a disaster for Labor and Meretz to join a coalition with Netanyahu.

They'd have no real influence and would spend all their time voting for and defending policies that were anathema to them.
It might even split Labor again, as it did during the last Knesset.

[Ken Burch]

14. If Yesh is going to keep presenting itself as the party of "the secular center".

Lapid will really have to hold Likud's feet to the fire on doing anything more to appease the ultrareligious crazyheads...and, it may have to leave the coalition if Netanyahu stalls on the question of drafting ultra-Orthodox and getting them off of religious-based welfare payments.

My guess, however, is that Lapid will develop Barak Syndrome...refusing to stand up for any of his principles if doing so means giving up his seat at the cabinet table.

[oberliner]

16. What do you think Lapid's principles are?

I think maybe you give him more credit than he deserves.

[Ken Burch]

17. I'm going on the interviews he's given

And from those and from most of the articles I've seen about Lapid and his party, two of the issues they placed the strongest emphasis on during the campaign were

1)Reducing the influence of the ultrareligious and removing some of the privileges they receive(such as exemption from the draft and personal subsidies so they don't have to work);

2)defending the rights and the values of more secular Israelis.

In these areas, the party is a lineal descendant of the Shinui party that Lapid's father helped organize in the 1990's, IIRC.