Negotiations to form a governing coalition continued throughout Sunday. Officials involved in the process said that while the sides were not far apart, the issues that remained under debate were "significant" and that both sides were still having difficulty reaching a compromise.
The main problem that arose in talks on Sunday was the appointment of a Knesset speaker and interior minister. Blue and White demanded that outgoing Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein not be reinstated. Reports Sunday said that Tourism Minister Yariv Levin would be appointed speaker, but no decision has been made.
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Blue and White is also demanding that Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev not be named public security minister. Meanwhile, the Likud is insisting that Avi Nissankoren not be appointed justice minister.
Another point of dispute was what status Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would hold after Blue and White leader Benny Gantz replaces him in a rotation. The Likud wants Netanyahu to remain in the cabinet. On Sunday, public broadcaster Kan 11 reported that Netanyahu might be given acting prime minister after his rotation is over and be made responsible for Israel's contacts with Russia and the US.
In the meantime, tension is rife among Likud ministers as portfolios are distributed. The right-wing bloc, which held 28 portfolios, will be given only 15 in a unity government, give of which will be shared by coalition partners.
A number of Likud ministers were outraged on Sunday, saying that too high a political price had been paid to bring Blue and White into the government, in light of the number of MKs in the party.
"The Likud brought in a record number of seats and in the end, we get the same number of jobs as a party that is half our size. In a situation like this, we could make an ultimatum and say it makes no sense. Especially when Blue and White is being given major portfolios like defense, justice, and communications," one Likud official told Israel Hayom.
A number of senior Likud officials will likely be forced to accept portfolios of lesser prestige. A particularly tense battle is expected over the finance portfolio, although it will play out between two Likud members – outgoing Foreign Minister Israel Katz and MK Nir Barkat, who was promised a ministerial appointment. Defense Minister Naftali Bennett (Yamina) is also making it clear that he wants a major portfolio, such as finance.
When it comes to the public security portfolio, Minister Gilad Erdan – who won one of the Likud top spots in the last party primaries – is facing off against Regev, who is considered a close associate of Netanyahu.
One solution to the problem of too few portfolios to go around could be to send two Likud officials abroad, one to serve as Israeli ambassador to the US and the second to serve as Israeli ambassador to the UN.
However, the serving ultra-orthodox ministers appear to be secure in their positions. Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) is likely to retain the health portfolio, Interior Minister Arye Deri (Shas) will most likely stay on, and UTJ MK Moshe Gafni is expected to remain head of the Knesset Finance Committee.
Meanwhile, the Likud believes that Labor Leader Amir Peretz and MK Itzik Shmuli, as well as Gesher chief Orly Levy-Abekasis, will join the coalition. The two were scheduled to meet Monday to make a final decision. Associates of Shmuli said Sunday he had not yet made up his mind.
If the two join the coalition, Peretz is expected to receive a general economic portfolio while Shmuli would be appointed labor and welfare minister.
"Our goal is to balance the government, while strengthening the Left, to be in positions of influence and help Gantz," Labor officials told Israel Hayom Sunday. "We were in favor of a narrow government, but [from] the moment Gantz decided to join a unity government, we intend to be with him and back him up in the cabinet. What's more, this is a unique situation because of the coronavirus crisis."
Labor MK Merav Michaeli is staunchly opposed to Labor joining the government and on Sunday demanded that the party's governing committee be convened.
"According to rumors, the Labor faction could make a terrible mistake and joint the government. The indicted Netanyahu's radical Right could use the emergency situation as an excuse to go back on its election promises to its voters. I hope this isn't true and the rumors will turn out to be a lot of hot air," Michaeli said.
Israel Hayom has also learned that Gantz and his fellow Blue and White representative Gabi Ashkenazi would take the defense and foreign ministry portfolios, respectively.
Also on Sunday, the Knesset Arrangements Committee approved the split of the Blue and White list into two factions – Blue and White, under Benny Gantz, with 17 MKs who will join the coalition under Netanyahu; and Yesh Atid under Yair Lapid, which includes 16 MKs who will be part of the opposition. Lapid will serve as opposition leader. The decision must be ratified by the Knesset plenum.
Gantz will hold onto the name "Blue and White" for his faction, because after some post-election reshuffling, his party retains 17 MKs compared to the 16 who belong to Yesh Atid and Moshe Ya'alon's Telem party. This deals Lapid and Ya'alon a PR blow.
However, Yesh Atid-Telem stated Sunday that they "are continuing the path toward stabilizing politics. We will battle for the citizens of Israel from the opposition, and we will defend democracy. At the same time, we will work together on behalf of the public to battle the corona crisis. It is not being handled correctly. The economy is collapsing, and decisions are not being implemented. We will be a clear voice for the millions of citizens of who love Israel and who fear for its future. We will oversee the government's activities and create governing alternatives for Israel."
