Benny Begin
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
Benny Begin refuses to resign to make way for Erdan
Netanyahu, who doesn't want to fire Begin, is looking to either expand the government further or appoint Minister Akunis as Israel's UN envoy, making room in the government for Begin.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nascent government is once again facing problems, with Minister Without Portfolio Benny Begin announcing Tuesday he refuses to resign to make way for new minister, Gilad Erdan.
The current government has already expanded beyond the 18-ministers limit it had in the previous term and currently boasts 20 ministers.
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) and Economy Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) both vehemently oppose expanding the government further.
Benny Begin (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
Out of the 20, only 12 ministers are allocated to the ruling Likud party, meaning one of its ministers will have to make way for Erdan.
Begin said he refuses to resign and told coalition chairman Tzachi Hanegbi that as far as he was concerned, he was a government minister until otherwise decided.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, does not want to fire Begin, whom he convinced to return to the Likud party ahead of the 2015 elections, and is working to expand the government further.
Another possibility the prime minister is examining is to appoint one of the other current Likud ministers as Israel's Ambassador to the UN - specifically Ofir Akunis, who is a minister without portfolio in the Communications Ministry. This will allow Begin to remain in the government without having to expand it.
