Lapid: Coalition talks far from over

After Likud officials predicted an agreement on a government by the weekend, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid said Monday that coalition negotiations “are far from over.”

Lapid, addressing a faction meeting in a jovial, upbeat tone, said his party seeks to represent everyone’s interests, including the ultra-Orthodox. “I hope to establish a good, broad government that’s good for the people, and not for the politicians. And even the ultra-Orthodox will find that Yesh Atid is not only not against them, but takes care of them too.”

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a long meeting with Jewish Home head Naftali Bennett, leading to speculation that a deal to let Jewish Home and Yesh Atid into the government was nearing. Netanyahu also told the ultra-Orthodox Shas party that he would not be able to include them in the coalition — a key Yesh Atid demand.

Lapid said the party would need to have patience before a deal was signed.

“There are many issues that we’ve resolved,” Lapid said,” but Israeli politics holds surprises…. We’ve waited until now. We can wait a little while longer and will know everything.” 

Bennett said there was a good atmosphere surrounding the prospect that his and Lapid’s parties would enter Netanyahu’s coalition, but warned against rushing into a deal.

“We rolled up our sleeves and are working very hard to help Netanyahu form a government that serves the people,” he said Monday. “There is a good will to form a government as soon as possible, and we are merely coming to be a help to the prime minister.”

Netanyahu has until March 16 to form a coalition, at which point President Shimon Peres could ask another person to to try to form a government or call new elections.

Remaining to be hashed out is which ministerial posts party leaders will be granted in the new government.

On Monday, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Lapid was aiming for the Foreign Ministry for himself, and also sought the Education, Welfare and Interior ministries for party members.

For his part, Bennett will seek the Industry, Housing and Religious Affairs ministries, and possibly one additional portfolio, the Yedioth Ahronoth report added. According to Israel Hayom, Bennett will ask for the finance minister post.

Yesh Atid garnered 19 Knesset seats in the January 22 election, second only to Likud-Beytenu’s 31. It has been working together with the 12-seat Jewish Home party to demand new legislation to draft most ultra-Orthodox young men. The ultra-Orthodox parties are opposed to such a drastic change, and Netanyahu has thus far been unable to resolve this and other differences between his potential coalition partners.

Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich, for her part, promised that her party would serve as an “effective opposition.” She cited Netanyahu’s intention to pass severe budget cuts next term, and said that Labor wouldn’t be a part of it. 

“We are preparing diligently to be an effective opposition, which also fights, and that would be far more effective than sitting in a government whose plans are dictated by Netanyahu,” Yachimovich said at her faction’s policy planning meeting Monday.

Labor’s Isaac Herzog added that the first matter the party would tackle would be the budget cuts. “We will fight them in every way,” he said.

Asher Zeiger contributed to this report.