Netanyahu is trying to escape from internal and external pressures hinting at refusing to grant the Ministry of Defense to the head of the Religious Zionist Party
The leader of the Likud in charge of forming the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu, is trying to persuade the head of Shas, Aryeh Deri to take over the defense ministry to avoid giving it to the head of the extremist religious Zionism, Bezalel Smotrich.
The Israeli Channel 12 reported that the coalition negotiations stopped due to Smotrich’s request to become defense minister, noting that Netanyahu would prefer to give him the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance.
It revealed that Netanyahu met with Aryeh Deri for several hours on Monday, proposing that he be appointed defense minister.
According to the information, Deri prefers to assume the Ministry of Finance and is reluctant to give up this opportunity, even in order to become Minister of Defense.
Deri’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party has long positioned itself as a welfare party, while many of its voters don’t serve in the Israeli army.
Israeli Kan Channel reported that Smotrich is also interested in taking over the Ministry of Finance, but rabbis who support his religious Zionist party are urging him not to give up the post of defense minister.
On Sunday, Netanyahu received an official mandate from Israeli President Isaac Herzog to form the new government.
He has several weeks to put together a majority coalition that is expected to consist of his Likud party, Religious Zionism, and the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, with 64 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
