Netanyahu and Katz
Netanyahu and KatzHadas Parush/Flash 90

Senior Likud officials reported in conversations with Arutz 7 that there is only a slim chance of Transport Minister Katz being dismissed.

Netanyahu's new chief of staff Yoav Horowitz met this morning (Sunday) with Transport Minister Yisrael Katz in an effort to solve the crisis. This was the first meeting between the two.

Netanyahu is conscious of the voices in the Likud calling upon him not to dismiss Katz and to enter into negotiations to solve the crisis between the two.

Earlier Netanyahu referred to the crisis at the outset of the cabinet meeting, saying that: "Ministers are appointed to prevent crises and not to cause them."

"In Israel there has been a status quo for many years and we respect it. When work has to be done on Shabbat, it is performed as was the case last week and when work does not need to be done - it is not done.This has been our guiding principle; this is the principle that will continue to guide us.”

At the cabinet meeting which was not attended by Katz, Netanyahu said, "I won't let anyone make a putsch around here." The prime minister was referring to those who felt that Katz deliberately provoked the crisis after losing his bid to limit the prime minister's powers through the Likud party secretariat.