Negotiations to form a national emergency government between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White this week reportedly faced difficulties due to disagreements over key ministerial posts and future plans to apply Israeli sovereignty to settlements in the West Bank.
Reports say that talks began to unravel on Wednesday as Netanyahu’s right-wing camp rebelled against the extent of his promises to Gantz – including 15 ministerial posts to Blue and White, and control over the defence and justice ministries. This would grant Gantz a de facto veto over the right’s most important policy aspirations.
The right-wing nationalist Yamina party threatened to leave the coalition “rather than sit in a leftist government”, and a letter signed by top Likud activists demanded that Netanyahu “not surrender the right’s principles to establish a government with Blue and White. And if necessary, go to a fourth election”.
Last week, Blue and White split after Gantz made the dramatic decision to nominate himself as Knesset speaker in order to keep talks with Netanyahu on track to create a national emergency government.
With the departure of former allies Yair Lapid and Moshe Ya’alon, the party is left with just 15 MKs, leaving Gantz little leverage in the negotiations with Likud.
