MK Miri Regev (Likud) on Sunday attacked the parties that will hold coalition negotiations with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for their excessive demands.
Regev, who ranked high in the Likud’s pre-election primaries, is expected to be appointed to a ministerial position and has expressed her desire to serve as Housing Minister.
“Enough with the blackmail,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “The blackmail of the largest party in the Knesset by the small and medium-sized parties is spitting in the face of the public. It is clear that the ruling party which has 30 seats should hold senior portfolios.”
Regev continued, “It is inconceivable that the small and medium-sized parties will demand the senior portfolios, while the Likud, which won a significantly larger number of seats, will not hold senior portfolios."
“It is very important to establish the government as soon as possible and not prolong the negotiations because of blackmail," she added.
"This is the opportunity to bring back to the Likud at least two of the social ministerial portfolios, that it did not have last term, such as Economy, Housing and Construction, Welfare and Education,” said Regev.
Her comments come amid reports that Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avidgor Liberman will demand the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry.
Kulanu chairman Moshe Kahlon, meanwhile, is expected to receive the portfolio of Finance Minister. Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism have made demands as well, with United Torah Judaism requesting the chairmanship of the Finance Committee and Shas requesting the Interior Ministry for its chairman, Aryeh Deri.
Regev echoed the comments of Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom, who argued Sunday that the defense, foreign affairs, and finance portfolios should remain in Likud.
"The demands of our [coalition] partners are like they're the ones who received 30 seats, and not us," Shalom told Army Radio.
"I mean they have to look at the reality and understand who the leading party is, and who the biggest party is. Of course, they should be more modest," he charged.