Lapid laments possible boost in number of ministers

Former finance minister MK Yair Lapid on Sunday decried suggestions that the next government may see an increase in the number of ministers due to the need to satisfy the demands of the different coalition partners. He called on MK Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu), who is expected to take over the treasury, to prevent the development.

Lapid helped spearhead legislation in the previous Knesset to set a limit of 18 ministers and four deputies on the government, but is set to be in the opposition in the new Knesset.

“Instead of passing a socially (orientated) budget with the addition of NIS 10 billion ($2.55 billion) for education, health, and welfare, the next government intends to play musical chairs,” Lapid said. “Kahlon must stop this.”

Media reports have suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is working to stitch together a viable coalition, may be forced to appoint at least 22 ministers and six deputies to satisfy the appetites of partners who are reluctant to compromise on their demands for portfolios.

Lapid, who leads Yesh Atid, said that by playing along with the rumored ministerial increase, Kahlon, who heads the Kulanu party, would show weakness that Netanyahu’s Likud will take note of and seek to exploit.

“I am convinced that this is not how Kahlon wants to begin his term in office,” he said. “If he bends now to this initiative, it will be an indication to the Likud that he will bow to it in the future.

“An inflated government and the scandalous practice of appointing ministers without portfolio are something that we managed to get away from in the previous term and (by doing so) save a substantial amount of money for important things,” Lapid continued. “I hope that at this moment Kahlon won’t take part in stepping backwards on this matter.”

Until the previous Knesset changed legislation, other Israeli governments had included dozens of ministers, deputies, and ministers without portfolio. Lapid and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman pushed the change in the law to cap ministers at 18, with four deputies.

According to Ynet, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party has said that, while it opposes increasing the number of ministers, it won’t make the issue a make-or-break condition to joining the coalition. However, Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party has indicated that it will strongly oppose the idea and will not support changing the law to enable adding more ministers.

Netanyahu took a big step closer to a coalition after Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the Jewish Home party, reportedly dropped his demand for the Foreign Ministry on Saturday night

With just over a week to go for Netanyahu to form his coalition, Bennett will ask Likud for control of the Education Ministry instead of the highly coveted Foreign Ministry, which will stay in Liberman’s hands, according to Hebrew media reports.

The move will pave the way for Jewish Home and Yisrael Beytenu to both join a Likud-led government, giving Netanyahu the last pieces he is thought to need to form a coalition.

The prime minister has already all but formalized deals for Kulanu and ultra-Orthodox factions Shas and United Torah Judaism to come aboard. If all five parties join Likud, the coalition would number 67 seats.

Netanyahu and Kahlon reportedly reached an agreement — just before Memorial Day — on Kulanu joining the coalition. Kulanu will receive three ministries: the Finance Ministry, the Construction and Housing Ministry and the Environmental Protection Ministry. The prime minister is also said to have conceded to Kahlon’s demand to shelve legislation that would restrict the powers of the Supreme Court, laws which Kahlon opposes.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.