Alternately between Netanyahu and Gantz ... Corona expedites the formation of a unity government in Israel

Mohamed Mohsen Wedd - occupied Jerusalem

Under pressure from the Corona pandemic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chairman of the Blue and White party Benny Gantz signed a national emergency government that includes 36 ministerial portfolios for a period of three years, to be rotated between them, provided that Netanyahu is the first and continues to serve as prime minister for a year And half a year.

The agreement reached with the guarantee of the ultra-Orthodox "Shas" and "Hitara Judaism" parties to establish a mini-cabinet to meet the challenges of Corona, headed jointly by Netanyahu and Gantz, and with the participation of relevant ministers.

Under the emergency government coalition, the tasks and membership will be divided equally between the Likud and the Blue and White party in the mini-cabinet for political and security affairs (cabins), and in the mini-cabinet for social and economic issues.

Guarantee and stability
The agreement that the "New Right" coalition led by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has reserved for it includes the implementation of the rotation agreement under a clause stipulating that when the Knesset votes on the government of national unity, and granting Netanyahu confidence to be prime minister first, voting will also take place on Gantz for the position "Alternative Prime Minister" as he will take office under the rotation agreement in October 2021.

The agreement also provides a safety and stability network for the emergency government for at least six months, even if the right-wing coalition (6 seats) does not join, and the Netanyahu government will receive the support of at least 68 Knesset members and 74 as a maximum.

It was also agreed that if the Knesset were dissolved before rotation, Gantz would take over as prime minister, and if the Supreme Court removed Netanyahu from his post, the rotation agreement would not be implemented and there would be another election.

Sovereignty, annexation,
and through the National Salvation Government - which will face the repercussions of the Corona crisis on the country - reached understandings between the Likud and the "Blue and White" party to impose Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank and all settlements, as well as not to make any amendment to the "National Law" Who defines Israel as the national home of the Jewish people around the world.

Israeli channel 12 political correspondent Daphni Liel stated that, according to the understandings of the government coalition, the annexation procedures and legislation will start in early July, without revealing the position on the issue of the right-wing alliance demanding annexation of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea region, provided that the Prime Minister is allowed to present the American peace plan The Knesset plenum to vote.

The political correspondent pointed out that Netanyahu and Gantz’s understandings regarding annexation and the imposition of sovereignty are in harmony with the US peace plan in the Middle East, which is the media-defined plan of the “Deal of the Century” and aims to liquidate the Palestinian issue.

"According to the emergency government, Israeli sovereignty and annexation of settlements will be imposed," Yisrael Hume newspaper quoted sources familiar with the coalition negotiations as saying, noting that Netanyahu's presidency of a stable and broad government creates the conditions for the start of the annexation measures, but he linked this to the survival of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. .

Corruption and salvation, and
with the announcement of the formation of a national salvation government for a period of six months devoted to addressing the effects of corona on the Israeli economy, all proposals for laws to be submitted will be in harmony between the Likud and "blue and white", which means not submitting a draft law that prevents the accused of corruption from forming the government, knowing On May 24, Netanyahu will undergo his first corruption trial.

Parties participating in the coalition and supporting the emergency government will also be prohibited from submitting bills that are not related to addressing the consequences of corona, and at the same time, a joint negotiating team will be formed to discuss the basic lines of the unity government that will be formed after the end of the Corona crisis, according to the political correspondent of the newspaper "Israel" Hume, "Danielle Roth Avnery.

According to the agreement that the right-wing and Labor-Gischer parties will join, the portfolios will be divided equally between the right-wing camp headed by the Likud and the Blue and White party, with Netanyahu to be prime minister for a year and a half, while Gantz will be the security minister and acting president Ministers, Minister Yariv Levin will be Speaker of the Knesset.

Bags and positions
The newspaper “Haaretz” stated that the judicial portfolio, which was the basis of the government formation disputes, will be entrusted to a member of the Knesset for a “blue-white”, Avi Piesenkorn, while giving Netanyahu the right to veto and reserve the appointment of judges and the attorney general’s government and the attorney general, while he will appoint General Gabi Ashkenazi is Minister of Foreign Affairs, with Rabbi Yaakov Litzman remaining in his position as Minister of Health.

Parliamentary correspondent told the newspaper, Yehontan Less, that the coalition agreement guaranteed the "Blue and White" party the presidency of a number of parliamentary committees, most notably the chairmanship of the Foreign and Security Committee, and in return, the agreement provides for Likud to chair the Constitution, Finance and Economy committees.

The parliamentary reporter noted that during Netanyahu's term, Gantz will be granted the position of "Alternative Prime Minister", so that Netanyahu does not have the right to remove him from this position, and they will exchange this title after completing the rotation between them after a year and a half, so that Netanyahu maintains the position of "Alternative Prime Minister" even after the end of his duties. In the prime minister.

And the official Israeli radio "Kan" reviewed the distribution of ministerial portfolios according to the agreement as follows: the Ministry of Finance of Israel Katz, the internal security of Miri Regev, the Ministry of Transportation and the Knesset leadership of the Likud Party, while the ministries of defense and foreign affairs, the judiciary, immigration, assimilation and culture of the "Blue and White" party.

Meanwhile, Amir Peretz will be appointed by the Labor Party as Minister of Economy, Etsk Holistic as Minister of Social Welfare, and Rabbi Aryeh Deri from Shas will remain Minister of the Interior, the Ministry of Education for the Right-wing Alliance (right) if he joins the government, and the Communications Ministry for the "immunity to Israel" bloc headed by Yaaz Hendel.