Sources close to negotiations tell Israel Hayom that Yamina No. 2 Ayelet Shaked pushed Bennett to fold because she did not receive justice portfolio; Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid: There are still 20 days left in the mandate, and in political terms, that's an eternity.
Yamina leader Naftali Bennett likely to serve the first two-year rotation as prime minister. Benny Gantz insists on keeping the defense portfolio, while finance might go to Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman. Lapid, Bennett, and Sa'ar all want to avoid a bloated cabinet.
It's safe to assume that regardless of the Akunis appointment, negotiations with Naftali Bennett aren't finished and will continue from where they left off.
Political officials are saying that President Reuven Rivlin will not give the PM extra time to complete the task, and expect him to tap Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. If Lapid fails to form a government, the mandate moves to the Knesset.
Hearing comes after High Court issues temporary injunction freezing the appointment of MK Ofir Akunis and demands government response.
The FADC is the parliament's most powerful panel. MK Orna Barbivay is a retired major general and was the first woman in the IDF's history to make the military's second-highest rank.
The only way to form a government and avoid a fifth election is for the prime minister to make concessions.
Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and New Hope chief Gideon Sa'ar, with 13 Knesset seats between them, somehow expect that 30 Likud lawmakers will ignore their voters and help them unseat Netanyahu. It's hard to see how their plan is more than wishful thinking.
The Yamina leader will propose a rotation government with Netanyahu if he were the first to serve as prime minister, Israel Hayom has learned, with Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party serving as outside support for the coalition.
A government reliant on Abbas' support "may maintain Netanyahu's rule but it will most certainly not be right-wing," Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich says.