Report: Deri would get a ‘super ministry’ to compensate for losing finance office

To make up for the Finance Ministry going to the Religious Zionism party, the Likud party is offering Shas leader Aryeh Deri a “super ministry” that would effectively combine the Interior Ministry and Transportation Ministry into one office, the Kan broadcaster reports.

In addition to this expanded Interior-Transportation Ministry, Deri would be made deputy prime minister. His party would also get control of the Health Ministry, Diaspora Affairs Ministry, and the Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev, and the Galilee, which controls funds to assist those farther-flung parts of the country.

As part of coalition negotiations, Deri requested the Finance Ministry for himself, but earlier today Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu offered the job to Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich, in order to get him to rescind his demand for the Defense Ministry.