Bayit HaYehudi officials are already setting their sights on cabinet posts, realizing that barring major changes, and some may occur, the party will receive 3-4 cabinet appointments. (This does not include deputy cabinet minister appointments). While the most senior appointment will go to the party’s leader, Naftali Bennett, and the second appointment to Uri Ariel, who heads the negotiating team, one or two appointments remain. Realizing that the fourth appointment is questionable, there is already ‘discussion’ between party officials as to who will be entitled to the third appointment, already being claimed by Uri Orbach, Nissim Slomiansky, and Avi Wartzman. Orbach is Bennett’s choice, for it was Orbach who was first in the party to publically endorse Bennett’s bid for the party leadership spot.

In all likelihood, the third appointment will go to either Orbach or Slomiansky, with the latter more representative of the old National Religious Party guard while the former is from the new younger breed, the Bennett generation. Orbach is credited with turning the party around, persuading colleagues to go with Bennett, but nevertheless Slomiansky earned the third slot on the lineup while Orbach has the sixth slot.

It appears Bayit HaYehudi will seek control of the Interior Ministry, Industry & Trade Ministry, and Education or Justice Ministry. There are also efforts pointing in the direction of the Ministry of Religious Services towards beginning the process of unlocking that state’s religious services from chareidi control.

Have you checked out YWN Radio yet? Click HERE to listen!

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)