Work to assemble the next government continued Friday morning as Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who was assigned the mandate to form a government by President Reuven Rivlin, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, and New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar met at Lapid's home.
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The Friday meeting came after Lapid and Bennett met long into the night on Thursday to discuss ministerial appointments after Lapid said he believed in the good intentions of his future coalition partners and vowed a government under his leadership would take Israel out of the crisis.
The work to plan an alternative government began long before Rivlin gave Lapid the mandate. While there is broad agreement about some of the appointments, others will have to be discussed by the various parties that have backed the Lapid government.
As of Friday, it appears that Bennett would be serving first in a two-year rotation for prime minister, followed by Lapid.
Other proposed portfolio assignments include Blue and White leader Benny Gantz as defense minister, the position he currently holds and which he insists on retaining, and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman as Finance Minister.
New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar could be made either defense or justice minister, but the justice portfolio could also go to Yamina No. 2 and former justice minister Ayelet Shaked. Alternatively, Shaked could be assigned the Interior Ministry portfolio, which sources close to Shaked say she would prefer.
MK Matan Kahana (Yamina) is likely to be assigned the religious affairs portfolio, and MK Yifat Shasha-Biton (New Hope) the education portfolio. There is little dissent about these appointment.
Yesh Atid MK Karin Elharar is a leading candidate for the communications portfolio, Labor MK Omer Barlev could receive the energy portfolio, and Labor leader Merav Michaeli could be assigned either health or public security. Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz is a candidate for those same two ministries.
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The transportation, culture and sports, and agriculture portfolios have not yet been assigned, and multiple candidates from all the parties in the coalition are interested.
Bennett, Shaked, and Sa'ar all want to reduce the number of ministers in the cabinet. Lapid wanted the number of ministers to be limited to 18, but it appears that he might have to compromise on 23-24, which would still be far fewer than the number serving in current emergency government
Israel Hayom has learned that some ministries will be shut down: namely the Water Ministry, the Higher Education Ministry, the Community Affairs Ministry, the Settlement Affairs Ministry, and possibly the Cyber and Digital Affairs Ministry, as well.
