While reports surrounding Naftali Bennett’s refusal to enter the coalition surround his agreement with Yesh Atid, and their refusal to compromise on the share the burden issue, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is working to entice Bennett to sign on the dotted line. Post Chadashot reports the prime minister is telling Shas it must relinquish control of the housing and interior portfolios, which will go to Bennett, and in return a modified share the burden plan which all sides will be able to live with will be introduced.

Nevertheless, the modified plan will result in the recruitment of many chareidim into the IDF as well as the number of chareidim joining the workforce. This modified plan will have to be acceptable to Bennett, who appears far more flexible on the matter than Yair Lapid, and Mr. Netanyahu is confident the plan will be accepted by both Shas and Yahadut Hatorah.

If the chareidim decline such an arrangement, Netanyahu can then turn to both Bennett and Lapid to enter the coalition. The prime minister feels this will not be the case however, for he believes if this deal is rejected by the chareidim, the version of the share the burden plan that will follow will be significantly harsher than the prototype being discussed in the prime minister’s plan, and Shas and Yahadut Hatorah are aware of this.

The more likely scenario is what will occur if the chareidim are in agreement but not Bennett. Then the prime minister will likely initial an agreement with chareidim, and then Bennett will be offered the housing and interior portfolios in addition to education and deputy minister of defense.

The report explains the prime minister, who is losing patients with Bennett, will explain the next move is Bennett’s and his failure to act may land the dati leumi tzibur outside instead of earning an extremely prominent place in the new government. He will warn him that if there are elections once again, his voters [Bennett] will show their displeasure and they will not forgive him for his failure to sign and enter the coalition when such an attractive offer was placed on the table.

Bennett will them find himself in a difficult place, for on the one hand the dati leumi will control many ministries, but there will be a compromise on the share the burden issue, albeit a respectable one. He will be under pressure from within the party, dati leumi rabbonim, the chareidim and from residents of Yehuda and Shomron to grab the deal. Alternatively, this will compel him to turn his back on Yair Lapid, which appears unlikely at the moment.

If Bennett refuses, then the prime minister remains with 57 seats (Likud/Beitenu 31, Shas 11, Yahadut Hatorah 7, The Movement 6 and Kadima 2), four short of a minimum majority. At this point, he will turn again to Labor and offer Shelly Yacimovich the Finance Ministry, which may work for then she will have a major role in determining the future economic policies of the 19th Knesset. If Labor opts in, then the prime minister will have 15 additional seats, giving him a comfortable majority while Bennett and his colleague Yair Lapid will remain in the opposition.

If Plan B fails, Bibi will then turn to veteran Labor MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, offering him backing to become the next president if they can persuade a number of laborites to break away and join the coalition in exchange for becoming deputy ministers and heads of committees.

Whatever the scenario the prime minister does not wish to see another round of elections, or have the president give the mandate to form a government to someone else in Likud or even to a different party.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)