Overshadowed by the Likud's talks with the larger parties, the National Union’s coalition contacts with the Likud continue. On the table: A demand for the Housing Ministry.
The National Union, which has four Knesset Members, is an important, though not critical, part of the coalition government that Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu is trying to build. Without the National Union, the coalition will have only 61 MKs, the smallest majority possible in Israel’s 120-member legislature. Such a situation would leave the government fragile and vulnerable, both in terms of its public image and expected Knesset no-confidence votes.
As the price for its entry into the coalition, the National Union has two main demands: The Housing Ministry, as well as an “agreed-upon solution for the outpost start-ups in Judea and Samaria.”
Thus far, the latter demand has not been addressed by the Likud negotiators, while the Housing Ministry issue faces the hurdle of a similar demand by Shas. The Sephardic religious party, with its 11 MKs, also demands other ministerial portfolios, among them Interior, which it appears certain to receive.
National Union leader Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh) has plenty of experience in the Housing and Construction Ministry. Having served as a top aide in the early 90’s to then-Housing Minister Ariel Sharon, “we doubled the amount of housing units in Yesha [Judea and Samaria] then,” he said last week, “and we can do it again.”
'Our Public Demands Results'
A senior National Union negotiator told Israel National News why this demand is so cardinal: “We explained to the Likud that we want to be able to support Netanyahu and his government for the full 4.5 years of his term – but we can only do that if our public sees that we are able to produce for them. Unlike Shas, our voters will pressure us for concrete results, especially in the face of various diplomatic gestures that Netanyahu is likely to be forced to make; if not, they will clamor for us to quit the government. For this reason, it is important that Ketzaleh receives the Housing Ministry.”
Informal talks are also being held among the various potential partners, which also include United Torah Judaism and the Jewish Home: “We are all interested in having a strong government that will promote our mutual interests and that will last for its full term.”
Settlement and Education
National Union Director-General Nachi Eyal explained to Israel National News, “The issues that mainly concern us are settlement and education. Regarding the former, we want to ensure that the Jewish population in Judea and Samaria is no longer choked off, as it has been for some years. There must be room for us to grow in accordance with our natural population increase, just as Jews are allowed to build freely in the rest of the Land of Israel. This means unfreezing construction and authorizing the start-up towns [outposts].”
“In addition,” Eyal continued, “we want Jewish education to be provided to all Jewish children in Israel, and not just in the yeshivot and religious school system. Similarly, the funding of religious schools must be an integral part of the national budget, and not just on a hand-out basis as it has traditionally been.”
Not Written Anywhere
MK Aryeh Eldad, #3 on the party’s list, told Israel National News, “It is certainly desirable that we enter the government, but it is not written anywhere that this is what has to be. If we are not satisfied with what the Likud offers, then we will not be a part of the coalition.”