The details of a purported draft deal between Likud and Blue and White for a unity government have been revealed by Israel’s Channel 13, reported the Times of Israel.
The development comes with only a week left until Israel will be forced to head to a third election in under a year, and as talks between Likud and Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) show no obvious sign of a breakthrough.
As unity talks falter, details of proposed pact show annexation, 30 ministers https://t.co/WMYVvhyWBI
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) December 3, 2019
According to Channel 13, both parties “agreed in principle” to a premiership rotation deal between Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “in which Netanyahu would go first but serve for only a few months before taking a leave of absence” to deal with his corruption charges.
Both parties also reportedly agree “that this rotation would somehow be anchored in new legislation before a government is formed”, that is, the Times of Israel described, “that sometime in the coming eight days, the Knesset would manage to amend Israel’s basic laws on elections and government powers in order to ensure that the agreement would have to be respected by all sides”.
Israeli Unity government proposal includes Likud provision to annex Jordan Valley. https://t.co/Fw8CwH3m4B
— Tikun Olam (@richards1052) December 4, 2019
The report also suggested that Likud and Blue and White agreed Israel would formally annex the Jordan Valley region of the occupied West Bank under the new government.
Channel 13 reported that the sides agreed Blue and White “would effectively control the defense and foreign policy, with the party’s No. 2 Yair Lapid serving as foreign minister and No. 4 Gabi Ashkenazi (like Gantz, a former chief of the army) as defense minister”.
Likud strives to try to form 'in extremis' government in Israel https://t.co/xiY3ZLWtL4 pic.twitter.com/V5XQ7umuQv
— MbS NeWs (@MbSNewsEnglish) December 1, 2019
Blue and White would also get the Interior Ministry, “which has authority over many religion-and-state and municipal governance issues that are a point of contention between Haredi backers of Netanyahu and the secularist Yesh Atid faction within Blue and White”, the Times of Israel added.
Netanyahu says annexation of Jordan Valley is on the agenda
— Israel Hayom English (@IsraelHayomEng) December 4, 2019
Overall, “the new government would also include over 30 ministers, with ministries divided equally between the two parties,” the report claimed.
However, with serious disagreements remaining, and mistrust between the parties high, most analysts still anticipate the most likely outcome to be a third election.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
