Blue and White MK says coalition deal nearly done

Blue and White MK Chili Tropper tells Channel 12 that a coalition agreement between his party and Likud is “nearly completed.”

The television station reports — with no attribution — that the negotiations are in their “final hours” and that a government could be sworn in before next week’s Passover holiday, which begins Wednesday evening.

“They really want to sew this up, so the government secretariat has submitted to the Knesset a request that on Monday the relevant legislation can be passed in an expedited process… We’re talking about swearing in [the new government] on Monday or Tuesday,” the station’s political correspondent says, citing no sources.

However, such reports of an imminent agreement have been heard before in recent days with no tangible result.

According to Channel 12, the two sides appear to be close to reaching a deal in which Blue and White MK Avi Nissenkorn would be named justice minister — which Likud previously refused — and Minister Yariv Levin would be named Knesset speaker instead of Yuli Edelstein, whom Likud had been pushing for the post.

The remaining sticking point is the issue of unilateral annexation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu made the matter a campaign issue and is being pushed by members of his bloc to make the point a requirement for a coalition agreement, while Blue and White opposes a unilateral action, though it appears to be softening on the matter.

Tropper confirms to the station that his party has given up on its demand of taking the Health Ministry, allowing Yaakov Litzman to remain in the post.