For the second time in about a week, Yachad party leader Eli Yishai announced that his condition for entering a coalition government will be contingent on receiving the Interior Ministry portfolio. During a visit to Tel Aviv, Yishai announced this will be a condition set forth during coalition negotiations. He explained this will permit him to continue his efforts to boost the feeling of personal security for residents as well as addressing the issue of illegal aliens from Sudan and other African nations. Yishai added that he has worked tirelessly in the past and plans to do so in the future, reflecting back to his efforts to stop illegal workers who are taking jobs from Israelis.

He praised Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s construction of the border fence in southern Israel, which has brought an end to the infiltrations from Egypt.

Interestingly, according to Shas officials, party leader Aryeh Deri has also stated he will demand the interior ministry as a condition to entering a coalition.

All things being equal, assuming both Yishai and Deri have the same number of seats, the request is more likely to receive a positive response in Yishai’s direction as he, unlike Deri, maintains a good relationship with the prime minister.

Yachad has already announced it will recommend Netanyahu for the presidential mandate to form the next coalition while Deri is unwilling to make the same declaration, preferring to keep all his options available.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)