Less than twenty-four hours after the results of the elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an urgent press conference today. This was apparently an attempt to put a stop to any move to set up a counter-block against him. Netanyahu declared that he would be the one to form the government and set its direction. "We have received a clear message from the public. The public wants me to continue to lead the country and to form a government that will institute three changes: affordable housing, equal sharing of the burden, and change in the method of government," Netanyahu declared.
Netanyahu revealed that he had spoken to his most senior partner Avigdor Liberman this morning. "We agreed that we would focus the coalition talks on these three things and that we would form a government that will have something to offer in these three areas," he concluded. No opportunity was given for asking questions.
Although the Labor Party has not yet given up, and leader Shelly Yachimovich continued her efforts today to form a counter-block, it seems that President Shimon Peres will invite Netanyahu to form a new government. In political circles the assessment gained ground this morning that Netanyahu would prefer a broad government of 80 Knesset members to include, besides Likud-Beytenu (31 seats), Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid (19), with which he will reach agreement first, then Naftali Bennett's Habayit Hayehudi (11), to which he will seeks to add Shas (11), United Torah Judaism (7), and perhaps Tzipi Livni's Hatenuah (6), with the political price paid to the latter few parties being substantially lower.
Given Lapid's impressive and unexpected achievement, he will probably be able to dictate terms for forming a government, and even demand one of the three senior portfolios in the coalition. Party sources said that, among other things, Lapid may demand the education, interior, or welfare portfolios. "Our goal is not portfolios but values. The first thing that will be put on the table as far as Yesh Atid is concerned will be a law on equal military service for all, on which we won't budge a millimeter," Lapid's media manager said in response. This evening, Lapid himself ruled out the possibility of forming a block against Netanyahu.
Netanyahu could also form a smaller coalition of 52 Knesset members, but he probably will not wish to take a risk of finding himself in a situation in which each coalition member will be able to threaten to leave the coalition and break it up. A government based on Habayit Hayehudi and the haredi parties is a possibility that Netanyahu would rather avoid. The question is how a broadly-based government will square with Lapid's declarations that he will not join a government in which there are ministers without portfolio and his demands for a government of only 18 ministers.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 23, 2013
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