Assumed prime minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday with Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir in Tel Aviv for coalition talks in the duo's first-ever meeting in public.
“God willing, we’ll form a right-wing government, protect IDF soldiers, police officers and the Israeli people,” Ben-Gvir told reporters before entering the meeting.
An hour later, the ultranationalist lawmaker, who eyes the public security portfolio that oversees law enforcement and rescue services, exited the meeting which he described as "excellent" and said it "went well.”
Ben-Gvir and MK Bezalel Smotrich, who both co-lead the Religious Zionist alliance, announced after last week's election that they will only join any potential coalition together, thus putting to rest speculations Netanyahu would ditch Ben-Gvir in order to form a government with Smotrich and other Knesset factions outside their conservative bloc.
Netanyahu launched coalition talks on Sunday when he met with the co-leaders of the ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi United Torah Judaism (UTJ) alliance Moshe Gafni and Yitzhak Goldknopf.
Netanyahu then proceeded to meet with Smotrich, who told Ynet: “We hold the key to everything,” before entering the meeting.
Netanyahu's Likud Party said on Sunday that he is also expected to meet with Avi Maoz, the leader of the small Noam faction within the Religious Zionist alliance.
The far-right joint list's three constituent factions have agreed each would negotiate with Netanyahu independently.
Though official negotiations between the parties have not started yet, Netanyahu hopes to strike an agreement and form a government as soon as possible. Next week, the leaders of all Knesset parties will meet with President Isaac Herzog to present their recommended candidate for prime minister.
But coalition talks did not go without hiccups after a heated argument developed over the promotion of several policies. Netanyahu said he first intends to set the makeup of the next government before agreeing to his partners’ terms, a move that dismayed Gafni, Smotrich and Goldknopf.
Shortly after leaving the meeting, Gafni said the possibility of a government forming before these terms are met “won’t happen.”
Both parties demand an amendment to Israel's quasi-constitutional Basic Laws which will severely curtail the Supreme Court's ability to strike down Knesset laws and allow parliament to reenact any law that was struck down with a narrow 61 MK majority.
UTJ also demanded to match the pay of teachers in the ultra-Orthodox education system to that of their peers in the general public education system, revocation of an added tax on disposable plastics and soft drinks, and reverse the last government's Kosher certification reforms which are set to come into effect in 2023.
The justice, foreign, health, transportation, and culture and sports ministries are expected to remain in Likud's hands.
Smotrich has expressed his interest in the defense portfolio, but it is also expected to go to Likud.