It is now clear that lapid doesnt want a deal , he just waste time to promote elections and becomes PM, BIBI should ve brought the haredim earlier and put Bennett in a difficult position as he cant say no to nationalist government, now bibi can bring the haredim and appoint the likud ministers as he wishes and can advance the Kendel plan, yes to a nationalist government, no to leftist oppertunist Lapid !!! Shalom

If it's about two portfolios, I say please mister Lapid take education, that is of much more importance for the future of Israel than any additional portfolio you might take...

you wracked with your tricks and shticks the likud party in the elections you were sure , you would outsmart the whole political system during your formation attempts-you came back on your knees like a little dumm boy to your logiacal potential partners in the next government and now your dumm party,who will skin you alive shortly,threaten to negociate with the religuous?In the States they holding their bellies and rubbing their hands,waiting to show you what it will look like when you will start crying and begging for another chance

unless I am misinformed, bibi cannnot get to 61 seats with the haredi. So threatening to turn to haredi given lapid's so called inflexibility is unrealistic. What is realistic is go to new elections. The coalition is unnatural: livni was given too much authority for her election showing and her ability.; bibi's fidgeting and indecisiveness or on display and instead of embracing bennett right away, he saw enemies everywhere; lapid who has a party more like meretz, did not combat service like olmert, whose father was an nolmert lacky and who is untested, has not done much. We know much about jornalists politicos like haber, amir oren, olmert, sarid and so on- most of them are gutless to the core. So the best thing to do is to go to new elections: new leaders can vy for the position of pm like yaalon, feiglin, giellerman, lieberman, bennettt, lapid and others.In fact, liberman has more leadership abiility than most israelis period, hands down. and livni has no business being in charge of peace talks. This political move by bibi was the blow that will bring him down since his supporters are sickened by it. Ultimately though, the israeli electorate is a bit stupid to put so much on lapid who we know something about and his father was an olmert rearender. and olmert almost killed israel. Remember-peretz, halutz, hezbollah war, tractor terror , israeli is finished, give up jeruslame east, give up golan via erdogan, give up most of west bank with corridor to gaza under arab rule, let international administer holy places, give up a small piece of pre67 israel, and accept arab refugees whateever their numbers and all will be good when we withdraw from gaza. You want this again??!!! The israeli electorate should be careful about who they give so much power when they are untested. The message though is that bibi and l ivni have to be thrown out from positions of power. They don't deserve them anymore! Bibi has done 2 terms and needs to be booted out as he is finnished.

Netanyahu just figured once he signed Jewish home then he could drop Lapid. This was always the plan and Bennett says no on his facebook page 5 minutes ago.

-- and, take over the most importent of their agendas, and their two parties will Melt avay., Arn.Sweden.

politics is compromise, but refusal to compromise is indicative of hatred. Lapid is anti religious and anti settlers. He hates Bibi and will do his best to torpedo any government. Let him go!

I believe its Bibi playing his usual games up to the wire and Lapid is not buying into it. Lapid is not afraid of elections as he will be PM and Bibi sent to political oblivion. Bibi is playing games coz he still has 2 days left to play in the sandbox. Bibi has non stop screwed it up for himself, youd think with all his experience of 30+ yrs. he would be a master but he is showing himself to be an amateur and Im a Likudnik saying this.

B"H Before the elections Middle East Peace Research urged the formation of a National Unity Bloc comprising Shas, UTJ and Habayit Yehudi Still not to late!!!!

טמבל. What else to say?

They have more common than differences and they should work out the differences and compromise a bit here and a bit there for the sake of all. I personally feel more confident if both are in the coalision and Lapid in the opposition .

Beit Yehudi won't sit in the opposition. Have you compared how Lapid was writing a year to eighteen months ago with how he talked during the run up to the elections. He speaks with forked tongue.

If you dimantle the link between the Likud and Israel Beitenu, Lapid is actually the biggest party - his demands are reasonable and the difficulty is really in the Likud with too many untatented people chasing too few jobs

Alas Yair is the author of his own downfall as in the end he just got too greedy. He didn't want a photo-op beside anyone with beard and payot and he most certainly didn't want to have to talk/discuss with anyone like that either. He insisted on taking the choice government positions and then thereafter insisted on there being much less for everyone else. Now he's asking for the Education Ministry to be given from the qualified and experienced Gideon Sa'ar to Shai Piron, not to improve the education system, but to further erode religious life in Israel. Unfortunately Likud aren't having it. They CAN'T have it. Sa'ar is the most popular personality in Likud today with massive grass-roots support and one of their few big success stories. If Lapid wants less ministers and thus less ministries he needs to belt up. It appears however he's intent on having his cake and eating it, a bizarre tale of self-destruction. The tide of public opinion has turned dramatically as they've seen him ousted as an anti-religious, anti-settlements and anti-unity/compromise spoiled brat who throws his toys out of the pram if all his demands aren't met. Now his alliance with Bayit Yehudi is all but finished, with their top Rabbonim coming out against it and all but Bennett himself expressing serious missgivings. Time for you to move on Bibi. Yair wasn't lying, he wants your job within 18 months and will topple the government to get it. Get the hareidim in with Bayit Yehudi and make the government you should have made in the beginning, so we can get down to work with all the difficulties and dangers we face today.

I doff my hat to you, nae, I salute you. The Likud party and its members think they were born to rule. The Haredim think they have the right to define Judaism. Both must be taught a lesson.

If this is the chaos he is causing in the formation of a government, I would not like to know what he will do when he is in the government. Bennett should dump him NOW because he will totally overwhelm him and reduce him to the messenger boy. Lapid is not a team player. He is a one-man show. Enough of the overtures and concessions.

all lapid cares about is sticking it to the haredim. he's not looking at all the other good a government without haredi9m can do.

who are not willing to make compromises,will end up with nothing. Remember Zippi Livni. Haredim have no right to impose their views on Secular Jews,and vis versa. Bibi wants a broad coalition where every group is represented.It makes sense,to avoid frustrations and all citizens to live in harmony together

Back down a little Lapid or you may win the battle and loose the war. The people will not support you at al if you continue to act like a ruthless brutal dictator.

He relays messages back and forth between Lapid and Netayahu.

Let him sit in the opposition, without any portfolios. That'll curb his enthusiasm.

Did people vote for Bennett so that he can prop up Lipid's personal agenda? Do the both parties have the same philosophy? If so, why didn't they merge from the very beginning? Unfortunately, I did not follow these details so I am at a loss as to why Bennett is clinging so tenaciously to Lapid who is CLEARLY using him. Poor sucker.

Rookies are not good team players. They treasure their principles more than the national interests. They can wallow in their priniciples outside of government. It is time for the PM to move on forming his government without them.

Bibi likes to be in power. He always cheated and betrayed his political partners. He used them to stay in power. Soooo... mr. Lapid, keep cool. The opportunists already made a deal with Bibi... if Bibi doesn′t want to make a real change in politics he really could choose for Bennet and the haredim... Bibi can choose between making Israel a paria in the world and making a new start. That is not your responsibility mr Lapid, although Bibi wants to let you think that.

It makes sense Netanyahu to please everybody as long as Netanyahu does not end up displeasing everybody altogether and pleasing only USA. *THAT´S* Netanyahu´s BIGGEST danger! Netanyahu is a great and carismatic speaker who knows the soul of Israel but he has proven to be a great cheater also. Watch out,because what underlies Netanyahu´s policies first and foremost is FOREING POLICY and I´m afraid he is spinning and spinning but has ulterior motives related to Judea and Samaria ,motives which would eventualy greatly displease Israel. Watch out Netanyahu very closely and without break.

Bennet is the man to watch out and should by all means join the coalition with or without Lapid.

israelis now see that lapid is not only totally inexperienced, but more importantly, he is a total narcissist. he puts his outsised ambitions ahead of the interests of the country. he has made a chaos out of the formation of the government. his behaviour thus far has shown a shallow man, worthy of his mentor olmert, who wants his revenge.

Graucho Marx once quipped.."I have principles, but if you don't like them, I have other principles"