Eli Yishai
Eli YishaiAharon Krohn/Flash 90

Former minister Eli Yishai, who is not running for the Knesset in the current election campaign, is negotiating with United Torah Judaism in an attempt to become a minister in the next cabinet.

According to a report in the Israel Hayom newspaper, Yishai maintains that he will be able to win an additional seat for United Torah Judaism and even convince the Noam party to withdraw its candidacy and have its people support United Torah Judaism instead.

In return, the report said, Yishai wants to be appointed a minister should the haredim be members of the next government.

UTJ leaders Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Litzman reportedly support the move, but they need a commitment from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he will agree to appoint Yishai as a minister.