"Yediot Ahronot": Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given up on a broad coalition that will include haredi parties.
Hebrew daily "Yediot Ahronot" reported that today Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid and Habayit Hayehudi chairman MK Naftali Bennett have reached a deal on the division of portfolios as part of a Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government, and that they will present a united front in the coalition negotiations with Likud-Beytenu. The paper says that Netanayhu has apparently given up on creating a broad coalition that will include haredi (ultra-orthodox) parties and has decided to go for plan B, a coalition without them.
"Yediot Ahronot" says that Yesh Atid will demand the education, interior, and social affairs portfolios from Netanyahu and that Habayit Hayehudi will demand the housing, industry, and religious affairs portfolios. Habayit Hayehudi will reportedly support Yesh Atid's demands for the portfolios, as well as the chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee and Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. Yesh Atid will also reportedly demand the foreign affairs portfolio, which Netanyahu has promised Yisrael Beitenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 4, 2013
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