With Ehud Olmert already three weeks into the four-week period in which he must form a government - a two-week extension is automatic, however - difficulties have arisen from within and without.
One problem facing Olmert and the coalition negotiators of Kadima is the increasing demands of the hareidi-religious parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. They are not demanding that Olmert call off or postpone his plans to uproot tens of thousands of Jews from Judea and Samaria, but rather that he immediately raise the child allowance payments, and grant Eli Yishai of Shas [pictured] the Interior Ministry.
Shas and UTJ have made initial contacts regarding a united front in the negotiations with Kadima. UTJ is not interested in receiving the Interior Ministry, and Shas had all but given up on it - until it learned of Kadima's generous agreement with Labor, and realized that it, too, could make strong demands. Shas' Aryeh Deri served as Interior Minister from 1988 until 1995 under Prime Ministers Shamir and Rabin, and Eli Yishai served in that capacity in Ariel Sharon's first government, in 2001-3.
MK Avraham Ravitz (UTJ) confirmed that the two parties have much in common and that they might form a partnership of sorts, but said that nothing has been finalized.
In addition, tensions abound within Kadima as to who will receive which portfolio and who will be left out. Olmert must attempt to placate at least three leading personages in his party - Mofaz, Reichman, and Sheetrit.
Sha'ul Mofaz, currently the Defense Minister, has been offered a different post, in order to enable Amir Peretz to take over Defense. Uriel Reichman, the founder of the ultra-secular Shinui Party, had been promised the Education Ministry by Ariel Sharon, but now sees it being given to Labor. Olmert might therefore offer him the Justice Ministry, but if Reichman does not accept - as his aides have intimated - he may quit the Knesset altogether.
Finally, Meir Sheetrit, had wanted to become Finance Minister, but this post appears headed for Kadima's Avraham Hirschson instead. Some commentators have said that Sheetrit might be Olmert's candidate for Knesset Speaker.
One problem facing Olmert and the coalition negotiators of Kadima is the increasing demands of the hareidi-religious parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. They are not demanding that Olmert call off or postpone his plans to uproot tens of thousands of Jews from Judea and Samaria, but rather that he immediately raise the child allowance payments, and grant Eli Yishai of Shas [pictured] the Interior Ministry.
Shas and UTJ have made initial contacts regarding a united front in the negotiations with Kadima. UTJ is not interested in receiving the Interior Ministry, and Shas had all but given up on it - until it learned of Kadima's generous agreement with Labor, and realized that it, too, could make strong demands. Shas' Aryeh Deri served as Interior Minister from 1988 until 1995 under Prime Ministers Shamir and Rabin, and Eli Yishai served in that capacity in Ariel Sharon's first government, in 2001-3.
MK Avraham Ravitz (UTJ) confirmed that the two parties have much in common and that they might form a partnership of sorts, but said that nothing has been finalized.
In addition, tensions abound within Kadima as to who will receive which portfolio and who will be left out. Olmert must attempt to placate at least three leading personages in his party - Mofaz, Reichman, and Sheetrit.
Sha'ul Mofaz, currently the Defense Minister, has been offered a different post, in order to enable Amir Peretz to take over Defense. Uriel Reichman, the founder of the ultra-secular Shinui Party, had been promised the Education Ministry by Ariel Sharon, but now sees it being given to Labor. Olmert might therefore offer him the Justice Ministry, but if Reichman does not accept - as his aides have intimated - he may quit the Knesset altogether.
Finally, Meir Sheetrit, had wanted to become Finance Minister, but this post appears headed for Kadima's Avraham Hirschson instead. Some commentators have said that Sheetrit might be Olmert's candidate for Knesset Speaker.