Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettBen Kelmer/Flash 90

The coalition agreement between Jewish Home and Likud was approved Sunday evening in a session of the party's Central Committee at Nehalim.

In addition, the party approved the allocation of ministerial portfolios between its MKs.

Party Chairman, Naftali Bennett, will be Education Minister and Minister of Diaspora. Ayelet Shaked will be Minister of Justice, and Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan will be Deputy Defense Minister.

Minister Bennett told the gathered members that the government about to be established “is a government of the entire Israeli public. Even with 61 MKs – this can be a unity government.”

"Yes – the government that will be established will be a unity government, if we only know how to be united,” Bennett stated. “A unity government is not if this party or another is in the coalition. A unity government is a decision by the coalition partners to look at the public's greater good.”

"This will be a government of the Coalition and the Opposition,” he said. “Of the religious, the secular, the haredi, of Jews and Arabs, of new immigrants and native-born citizens. A government of everyone.”

"We made sure that the coalition agreements will include a billion shekels in salary raises for IDF soldiers. Is that for right wing soldiers or left wing ones? It is for our soldiers.”

"We made sure that half a billion shekels will be added to education. Is that for religious students or secular ones? I hereby determine, as the person who will be in charge of the education: this budget will reach every child in Israel.”

"We promised that the Jewish Home would put its hand on the steering wheel of the state,” Bennett added. “It was not easy, but today we have a steady hand on all points of decisionmaking in Israel – we have a hand on the steering wheel.

"We will not let this car fall, we will not let it have an accident, but we will not sit in the back, in the trunk, either,” he continued.

According to assessments, MK Nisan Slomiansky will be Chairman of the Law, Constitution and Justice Committee, and MK Yinon Magal will be Faction Whip.

MK Rabbi Ben Dahan said, after his appointment as Deputy Defense Minister was ratified, that he intends to work “in full cooperation” with Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon (Likud).