Let's Make a Deal Israeli Style Part II - The Deal is Done

The other day I posted a story about Israel's impending coalition deal. Apparently, now it is done and Yesh Atid "won" the negotiations (although I still don't trust that Yair Lapid will be able to overcome the "Netanyahu Effect" once he is in office). Still... there is now a government in place. As posted at the Times of Israel:  Israel’s next government agreed: 4 parties, 68 members

The necessary legal documents were to be drawn up and signed Thursday, leaving Netanyahu free to formally inform President Shimon Peres on Saturday night — the final day of the six weeks allocated to him — that he has mustered a Knesset majority. The coalition will comprise four parties: Likud-Beytenu (31 seats), Yesh Atid (19), Jewish Home (12) and Hatnua (6), for a total of 68 members in the 120-seat Knesset.....

..Along with Piron at education, Lapid himself is set to serve as finance minister, and Yesh Atid will likely have three other ministers in a cabinet of 21-22 members. Bennett will be minister of economics and trade, and his Jewish Home party will have two more ministers, one of whom is likely to be Uri Ariel at Housing.

Bennett reportedly told Lapid that if he didn’t accept Netanyahu’s compromise offer, Jewish Home would sign a coalition deal without Yesh Atid

Also according to the TOI, Shas is also talking about joining the coalition. I am not sure how that will work since Shas would have absolutely no influence on anything and would be in constant conflict with Yesh Atid and to a degree with HaBayit HaYehudi, who are both seeking for strong reformation of the countries National Service Laws. But hey, if Eli Yishai thinks he can add to the equation or even effectively blunt what Y.A. and H.H. are saying then "more power to him" (though I don't think he can or frankly should be added).

One surprise for me is that apparently HaTanuah gets to keep their second post, the Environmental Ministry. Of course, Livni won't get a role that she wanted in leading Peace talks but it's hard to see that she even believed that she would given the make up of the ruling coalition.

As the dust settles and a HUGE internal fight within Likud, particularly between the newer, harder Rightist MK's and the old guard more moderate MK's we seem to be looking at this break down of ministries. Jeremy's Knesset Blog has a list of the probable Ministers so far:

Report: Probable look at Netanyahu government and his 21 ministers.

Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) Prime Minister , Minister of Foreign Affairs
Moshe Ya`alon (Likud) Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Defense
Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Finance
Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, Industry, Trade, and Labor, Minister of Religious Services, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Jerusalem
Tzipi Livni (Livni Party) Minister of Justice
Gideon Sa`ar (Likud) Minister of Internal Affairs
Shai Piron (Yesh Atid) Minister of Education
Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beitenu) Minister of Internal Security
Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) Minister of Housing and Construction
Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid) Minister of Health
Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu) Minister of Tourism
Yisrael Katz (Likud) Minister of Transportation, National Infrastructure, and Road Safety
Yair Shamir (Yisrael Beitenu) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Yael German (Yesh Atid) Minister of Welfare and Social Services
Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid) Minister of Science and Technology
Uri Orbach (Bayit Yehudi) Minister of Culture and Sport
Amir Peretz (Livni Party) Minister of Environmental Protection
Sofa Landver (Yisrael Beitenu) Minister of Immigrant Absorption

Likud Ministers Erdan, Livnat, Shalom and Steinitz are expected to fight over these 4 portfolios:

Minister of Communications
Minister of Energy and Water
Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galil
Minister of Home Front Defence

Some interesting things here... The Right is fully in fully charge of International Affairs. Starting with the Foreign Ministry which apparently will be overseen by PM Netanyahu who is holding place for Avigdor Lieberman (until his legal troubles settle). Then you have Bennett controlling Diaspora Affairs and Jerusalem NOT to mention trade. You have YB in charge of Tourism and Immigrant Absorption.

At the same time the Center (Yesh Atid, and HaTanuah) have the more socially oriented Ministries

One other interesting thing to me (as a former athlete) is that YB gets Culture and Sports. This is important in the face of on-coming boycotts of Israel that are sure to exacerbated by HaBayit HaYehudi's and Rightist Likud Betainu's continuing push for a One State solution.

In the my last article I mentioned that the big winner was Naftali Bennet. This confirms it. Apparently he was the "lynchpin" in pulling together the Coalition deal. But also, he got the ministries and positions that he wanted. HaBayit Hayehudi and the Right are going to control the culture of Israel at least in this government.

So now I am going to wonder at how the moderates in Yesh Atid are going to play this one. They got what they wanted so they really can't complain, but, what happens when the issues around the Occupation and the budget needs for energy and resources start running into trouble due to Rightist actions.

This will be very interesting going forward.

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