Kahlon seeking Finance portfolio

Former communications minister Moshe Kahlon says he will seek the Finance Ministry portfolio in the next government, should his Kulanu party sit in the next coalition.

“I will ask for the treasury,” he tells Channel 10. In the finance ministry “we can deal with the housing crisis, the cost of living, the social and economic gaps in the state of Israel.”

The popular chairman of the new Kulanu party also criticizes Netanyahu, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, and former finance minister Yair Lapid in a series of interviews to the Hebrew press.

Speaking to the Ynet news outlet, Kahlon terms Lapid’s run as finance minister “a huge squandered [opportunity].”

“Nineteen seats is huge, and offers a lot of power,” he says of the Yesh Atid party. “He could have done many things, but unfortunately he squandered it. We will do it.”

He tells the paper that in the ongoing political blame-game over Israel’s economic difficulties, all the participants — Netanyahu, Lapid, and Bennett — are at fault.

With regard to a peace deal with the Palestinians, Kahlon tells the Hebrew media that his party would support a future deal, but emphasizes in an interview with Haaretz that “right now there is no partner and no one to talk to on the other side.”

Kahlon says his conditions for a peace accord are: Jerusalem under Israeli control, annexation of the large settlement blocs, and no Palestinian law of return.

“Any agreement that will strengthen Israel — the Kulanu party will be there to support it,” he says.