Make Lapid pm enabling Labor to join a two year term Netanyahu takes defence with Yaalon National security Yachamovitch gets finance Liberman foreign affairs Seventy One Mandates .

Israel needs a Fierce coalition and Likud Lapid and Habayit Hayehudi fit the Task.A labor faction devoted to security in this jungle for the Jews ought Remember the Shoas of the Jews To Bolster the Coalition.But the Arabs must be treated Humanly if they are peaceful .Arrest the Hoodlums and Price Tag Fascists.

Problem for the most part is Bennet. He rightly doesn't trust Lapid and doesn't want him in the coalition but Bennet has joined forces with Lapid because of a personal grudge and not allowing Bibi to form a wide ranging coalition and he also seems to be standing by Lapid on the portfolios they are entitled to. Lapid wants the best and most glamorous portfolios for image purposes and is threatening not to join the coalition if he doesn't get things his own way and if he is out so is Bennet which means an election Lapid will probably win with his populist politics. If Bibi can't take control now then even if he gets a coalition he will be in a position whereby he wears the crown but Lapid is the king. The finance & definese portfolios should not even be given to MKS unless they are qualified. Peretz is proof we don't want an ammeter in defense and we giving control of the national budget to an ammeter who knows nothing about economics is also a mistake.

Bibi knew all along that Lapid was pushing for lower cost government, and each minister costs almost 1 million NIS in pay, staff, office, equipment, car, security, etc. Thus bloating the government by an extra 10 million NIS per year was a no starter. He went and set the price 2 seats = 1 Minister (Tsipi has 6 seats and 3 ministers) thus he has a problem with the rest of the potential partners who want and deserve at least as good a deal. Make each minister resign from the Knesset and only take 1 salary and 1 staff allocation and maybe it will work.

Netanyahu could have formed a stable Bayit Yehudi + Haredi coaltion within a few days, based on preserving a strong Israel. He would have solved the Haredi draft issue through negotiations, and the excellent Likud ministers would have saved Israel. Likud could have ended with 50 mandates in the next elections. Instead, Netanyahu decided that destroying Jewish homes and retreating from Judea and Samaria was his most important goal. sad

These discussions make no sense. To begin with,what´s going to be made about the absurd accord between Netanyahu and Livni by giving her Justice, being hers one of the least voted parties and being her a failure as politician? Besides ,these discussions are absurd discussions.Portflolios should be given to people technically apt to receive them or politically engaged to a certain path.These are not "gifts" but serious issues. And Bennett is of course right:the least portflolios ,the best.The more lean the system ,the best. But above all, ISRAEL´s political guidelines-the paths- which underlie this all must be spoken out FIRST. What matters is ISRAEL´s path,not politicians paths and I guess that´s Netanyahu´s job to clarify.

...the path that apparently Netanyahu (and his seemingly created monster -Lapid)has pushed prevails,if such spurious path prevails,new elections should be called and Netanyahu should be impeached imediately ,because such path is not the one Israel desires nor have voted for.

The Likud ministers have to understand they LOST seats in the Kennest and hence, their pie is smaller. So tough luck if some have to do without their BMW and other perks. Even eighteen ministers is way too much. Go Bennet & Lapid; do not give in and force new elections.

Yes there are new players that need to prove themselves, but the government is getting a good shake up that frankly is so overdue. Bibi did not win a sizeable majority to allow him to call the shots - which is the best thing that has happened - he is having to work hard this time around and get out of his comfort zone that he and his ministers became too complacent with and took for granted. Perhaps Lapid is being too big for his boots, a bit like Obama getting the Nobel Prize for peace in his first year. Never-the-less it is good to see things being shaken up in all directions and there are tiny shoots of hope that were absent in Bibi's previous two terms.

bibi cannot withstand pressure and his political judgement is awful, bringing in mofaz when he did not need to, then appointing livni head of peace talks with her record of failure and appeasment"". lapid is sticking to his guns,yet his own father enabled olmert in his errant and crazy israeli offering concessions. Lapid has a point on the haredi, they have to brought up to date, educated and martialized as they invite attacks against jews as they appear liike incredible weaklings even to secular jews. Bennett has better ideas on how to deal with security matters. So in new elections, likud and beitenu will be reduced to may 15-20 seats and bibi will be booted out. So he should bring in bennett fast and for lapid give him what he wants onharedi but keep away from foreign affairs and peace talks. and no conceessions you bloody weakling notwithstandinig barak calling for unilateral withdrawal. His past prescriptions have backfired.

Ultimately it is not the interest of Israel what is being fought for by Netanyahu ,and Lapid is egotist and evil ,because all could sit together if he was another kind of person. Netanyahu is driven by Sarah Netanyahu, reflecting his own soul,and by foreing interests, and Lapid -the fabricated monster-is evil.

No one who heads the state of Israel can be comfortable. A shake up can be expected any time.The shoots of hope is needed for the people not only for their leaders.

Lapid has always said that he wanted less ministers and he is sticking to that just as he has remained steadfast in the matter of an equal share of the burden. Kol Hakavod to Lapid. Agree with #8 that the Likud MKs have to recognize that they lost so many seats that they cannot have all the portfolios that they want. Fact of life. Giving Livni 3 ministers with only 6 mandates is ridiculous. No way can that be accepted. Lapid is right to refuse finance. It is a trap at this time. Hope that the AG is able to settle the matter of saving the FM for Lieberman soon.

The Rookies need to work for Israel and not promote personal interests at the expense of Israel national interests. Lapid should not be too ambitious and think he could just be Foreign Minister without any experience in governance. Israel is in a tough neighborhood. And Hitlerite world is equally challenging. A rookie foreign minister is the last thing Israel can afford to deal with these challenges. Israel needs a strong and proven leader to be in that position. The PM is right to reserve it for Lieberman. Lieberman is a strong and brilliant foreign minister that the world of dark forces cannot simply bully, fool and condescend. It would be better for the rookies to learn to be team players and work to protect and defend Israel against enemies from without and within.

both of you are wrong about Bibi, although i am against Bibi in his some policies as PM, but actually when it comes to the coalition talks, he cant be blamed, the only one to be blamed is Neftalli Bennett, from day one after the elections, Bibi decided to form a government based on the 61 seats plus Lapid, which doesnt depend on one party and is able to advance the draft issue, he went to Lapid, first Lapid was so tough in his conditions, Lapid also said he doesnt want the haredim , he wants Livni instead, Bibi refused, he then went to the haredim and Bennett, he offered Bennett three porfolios and Likud proposal on the draft, Bennett refused the whole package and went to form alliance with Lapid !!!!! from that day Bennett said no coalition without Lapid !!!! that means either Bibi gives into all the demands of the leftist, oppertunist and inexperienced Lapid or no coalition !!!! Bibi tried to bridge the gaps between the haredim and Bennett so Lapid will be left out or to join a 61 government, the haredim said they are ready to accept the Kundel proposal which was refused by Bennett !!!! even if Bennett is right that Bibi didnt want him, is it logical that Bibi can form a government with Lapid and Haredim only ???!!!! even the Labor is copletely against joining the government, so how can Bibi leave Bennett out ??!!!! also if that correct, does it justify that Bennett prevents the formation of a nationalist coalition and instead goes to form a coaliton with leftist and oppertunist Lapid ??!!!! shame on Bennett !!!!!! shalom

Offer the prime minister position. That is a wanted ministirial position.

That´s for sure.

This is unfortunate. We need unity more than ever.

Poor Netanyahu, attacked from all the directions on ministerial portfolios. His promise to Lieberman was a trap to which Netanyahu fell. Likud lost votes and is stuck with the worst FM in history. Netanyahu is in a real bind, but think how much worse it would be if Haredim were also involved in these negotiations.

I am no huge fan of Lieberman but at least he brings some honesty to the Knesset. During the Oslo years, we had the surreal experience of seeing Israel's top leaders mouth rubbish about pending "peace with Palestinians" which had absolutely nothing to do with reality. As Barak , Peres and company mouthed their "peace" rubbish, Israelis were being maimed and murdered by the thousands by "Palestinians". Today, at least, there are some honest people in the Knesset although the situation leaves much to be desired.

keep bibi on his toes. don't give in. really do not want to see him as next PM. He knows new elections (will cost alot of money) but he will do alot worse. and that WILL BE WORTH IT ALL. BIBI GO HOME!!!!!!!

Perhaps you are right as said before,perhaps Bennett has wished too much for his debut in the Knesset,but if he comes to his senses and humbles himself ,there is time to re-arrange things. What is strange though is Netanyahu having called Livni.That is strange because Livni does not represent the wishes of Israel and she was at Sharon´s side at Gush Katif disaster and she supports disengagements,what is not the wish of Israel as said before. Netanyahu should clarify his policies in my view.

Yes,perhaps you´re right.