President Reuven Rivlin has yet to officially task Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the formation of the next government, but among senior Likud party officials, the battle over who will be appointed minister has already begun
With Kulanu in talks to merge with Likud, Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon is expected to continue his role as finance minister. Economy Minister and fellow Kulanu member Eli Cohen will also likely serve as a minister when the new government is established following coalition negotiations in a month and half's time.
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman has conditioned his joining the coalition on Netanyahu making him defense minister, a role from which he resigned in protest last year. Assuming he doesn't renege on this demand, the assessment is that he will, in fact, head the Defense Ministry once again. If not, Likud party members like Construction and Housing Minister Yoav Gallant and Likud MK Avi Dichter are also vying for the position.
Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri will once again demand the Interior Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry. Seeing as the party has grown to eight Knesset seats, Shas may also demand another appointment in an intermediary Finance Ministry position. United Torah Judaism will once again suffice with having its members serve as deputy ministers and committee heads. Party chairman Yakov Litzman is expected to remain as deputy health minister.
The heads of the Union of Right-Wing Parties (Habayit Hayehudi-National Union-Otzma Yehudit), Rabbi Rafi Peretz and Bezalel Smotrich are also expected to be appointed ministers in the next government. They are now demanding the Education and Justice ministries, which are now headed by New Right party heads Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, whose party did not pass the electoral threshold.
However, no one will have these portfolios be made easily available to them. These are portfolios that senior Likud members have demanded, all of the current ministers expect to be appointed ministers once again. Assuming Lieberman is appointed defense minister, the assessment is that the most senior portfolio available will be the Foreign Ministry, which will remain under Yisrael Katz. With the exception of Communications Minister Ayoob Kara, who will conclude his role as communications minister after failing to reach a realistic position on the Likud Knesset list, all of the current Likud ministers will remain in office. Netanyahu will also appoint two other Likud members as ministers: former Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Gideon Sa'ar.
But the waiting list for a ministry role is still long and includes Dichter, current Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely – who has her eyes on the education portfolio, Gila Gamliel – now Israel's social equality minister, David Amsalem, Amir Ohana and Yoav Kisch. The assessment is that only one or two Likud members that are not currently ministers will be promoted to the role.
