The Shas Sephardic religious party signed a coalition agreement with the Likud party shortly after midnight Sunday, following Likud's agreement last week with the Israel Is Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) party. The three parties collectively have 53 Knesset seats, eight less than the minimum to form an absolute majority.
Shas will have four ministers in the proposed government, which is still negotiating with the United Torah Judaism (UTJ), Jewish Home and Ichud Leumi (National Union) parties. The Labor party is debating attempts by its chairman Ehud Barak to bring the party into a government led by Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu.
The pact with Shas will result in an increase in the budget for yeshivas and a hike in monthly child support stipends by NIS 93 ($23.25) for the second, third and fourth children in a family, effective over a three-year period beginning this July.
Party chairman Eli Yishai will take over the Interior Ministry, MK Ariel Atias will be Minister of Housing, and either MK Yaakov Margi or MK Yitzchak Cohen will be Minister of Religious Affairs. MK Meshulam Nahari will be Minister without Portfolio, and MKs Yishai and Atias will sit in the Security Cabinet
Under the agreement, the Housing Ministry will have authority over administration of lands. Shas promised to support Yisrael Beiteinu’s demand allowing civil marriages for non-Jewish couples while winning agreement to maintain the status quo in other religious matters.
Likud and UTJ negotiators are scheduled to continue talks on Monday, and the Central Committee of the Labor party is to discuss on Tuesday party chairman Barak’s initiative to join the government. The party is severely split on the issue, but MK Barak has promised not to bolt the party if his proposal is turned down.