Labor party youth to Herzog: Don't join unity government
In coalition talks, Kahlon seems likely to be first to join new gov't, receiving Planning Administration, which Deri also wants, while giving up on Finance Committee, which will go to UTJ.
The Labor party's youth wing sent a letter to chairman Isaac Herzog on Tuesday morning, urging him not to join a unity government amid reports Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in secret after the elections to discuss the possibility of forming a Likud-Zionist Union government.
"At this time, as different and strange speculations arise every day concerning the possibility of the Zionist Union joining the Netanyahu government, we want to give our backing to your position to lead the opposition in the upcoming term and pose an alternative to the right-wing government," the writers of the letter, signed by over 200 members of the Labor youth wing, said.
The Labor youth wing went on the say that it was aware of the heavy pressure placed on senior party MKs to join the government, but noted that if the party becomes part of a unity government, it would serve as "a fig leaf to provide cover for the government as it works to continue hurting Israel's diplomatic relations, bring down the welfare state and continue deepening the existing rifts in the population.
"The change in government which is so clearly needed, for which we worked hard during the elections, cannot be led while walking hand in hand with those who brought Israel to the verge of international isolation and created social gaps that are only getting worse," the Labor youth wing went on to say.
Herzog's office said in response: "The party's youth wing was one of the more impressive and touching forces throughout the campaign, and in recent years has been constructed as a valued body which aids the party and the entire camp. We thank them for expressing their importance position, which strengthens Herzog's statements in recent weeks, and consider it an important and significant voice."
Both Netanyahu and Herzog denied the Channel 1 report that they met in secret to discuss the possibility of forming a unity government.
Trying to form a government
Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who was tasked by the president to form the next government, has yet to bring any of the right-wing parties into the fold, ahead of the initial April 22 deadline.The prime minister's relations with the heads of two of the parties, Bayit Yehudi's Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beytenu's Avigdor Lieberman, are strained, making coalition talks tricky, while Shas leader Aryeh Deri is unhappy with the Likud's latest proposal, which does not include the Interior Ministry or the ministry's Administration of Planning.
Netanyahu has reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon, giving him the Finance, Housing and Environmental Protection ministries, as well as the Administration of Planning.
The Knesset's Finance Committee, which Kahlon also demanded, will likely go to United Torah Judaism, whose leader Yaakov Litzman is expected to return to the role of chairman of the committee.
Shas, meanwhile, was offered the Economy Ministry, the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee and the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry, while the Likud wishes to keep the Interior Ministry, which Deri wants for himself.
Likud and Kulanu officials said Kahlon was close to signing a coalition deal, making him the first to join the new government. Likud officials said they believed once Kahlon joins, both Shas and United Torah Judaism will follow suit.
