Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettPhoto by Hadas Parush/Flash90

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett announced Wednesday that he had approached the prime minister and asked for the Health Ministry and coronavirus portfolio.

"I have officially approached the prime minister to request the Health and Corona portfolio - to set up a national pandemic response system for the next outbreak, which is likely to come this winter," Bennett said.

"For some reason, Likud and White Blue are either running away from the Health Ministry or trading in it," he said.

Meanwhile, MKs from the right-wing bloc signed a request this evening from the president to impose the mandate to form the next government on Netanyahu ahead of the expiration of the 21 day mandate the Knesset received. The Blue and White party will reportedly sign the document only after the rotation deal is finalized.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz met Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in the Knesset and discuss the latest issues in the negotiations, including the Health portfolio and the date of the inauguration.

Under the original agreement, the health portfolio was to be in the hands of the right-wing bloc. However, Blue and White are interested in receiving the Health Ministry after Minister Yaakov Litzman announced that he will move to the Housing Ministry, and to appoint to the Health Ministry an external professional appointment.