Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has allowed Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) into the “forum of six” – the small group of ministers whom he trusts most and who are privy to the most crucial foreign affairs and defense decisions. Yishai's entry makes the forum into a "forum of seven." According to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew service, observers estimate that Yishai was ushered into the “forum of six” after he voiced his agreement, in a government session, to a freeze on construction in Judea.
Earlier this week, Yishai surprised many by saying that the construction freeze was no more than a “strategic delay.”
Meanwhile, Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom has been left out of the forum's meetings and political analysts estimate that this is Netanyahu's revenge for Shalom's recent statements of opposition to the construction freeze.
The six-member forum now includes the heads of all of the factions in Netanyahu's government except one: Jewish Home faction chairman Daniel Hershkovitz.
Shalom sent greetings to the Shomron town of Eli this week, congratulating it on its 25th birthday commemorations. He also attacked Netanyahu’s negotiating tactics.
Top secret forum
The "forum of six" consists of the prime minister as well as Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, as well as ministers Moshe Yaalon, Dan Meridor and Benny Begin. It sometimes meets twice or three times per week, and is often joined by the Mossad chief, Shin Bet head and/or the IDF Chief of Staff. It is the only forum that Netanyahu trusts not to leak information, although he was recently reported to be worried that some leaks were emanating from it nonetheless.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak reportedly wants Netanyahu to let him add one of "his men" to the forum, now that Yishai has joined it.