Hours before the mandate given by the President to MK Yair Lapid to establish a government is set to expire, a new compromise has been proposed that would enable Lapid to say before the midnight deadline that he has established a government.
According to the proposal reported by Amit Segal of Channel 12, during the second half of the term after two years, Ayelet Shaked would receive the justice portfolio, Gideon Sa'ar would be appointed foreign minister and Naftali Bennett would move from serving as prime minister to interior minister.
As of this hour, it is unclear whether the proposal is acceptable to all partners in the would-be government.
Earlier, Bennett made a different proposal whereby Yamina number 2 Ayelet Shaked would serve first in a rotation for a position on the Judicial Appointments Committee and Labor chairwoman Merav Michaeli serve second.
Shaked has responded in the affirmative to the proposal but Michaeli has not yet responded.
Explaining the compromise, the Yamina party said, "In the first half of the term, while Bennett serves as prime minister, Ayelet Shaked will serve as the government representative on the committee, and the coalition MK will be from the Labor party."
"In the second half of the term, while Lapid serves as prime minister, Merav Michaeli will replace Shaked as the government representative, and an MK from New Hope will serve as the coalition representative.
"Shaked has answered the compromise in the affirmative. The proposal was coordinated with designated Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and is acceptable to him."
Labor has demanded that party chairwoman Meirav Michaeli receive the position on the committee reserved for a coalition MK, while Yamina had reportedly issued an ultimatum saying that it will torpedo the planned government if MK Ayelet Shaked is not given the spot on the committee.
Earlier, the Movement for Governance appealed to Shaked demanding not to give up her membership in the Judicial Appointments Committee. ''Starting a change in the appointment of judges is your great legacy in the Ministry of Justice. You were very proud of it - and rightly so," the movement said.
''We supported you to the best of our ability as you fought about every judge appointed to the committee. These achievements are in jeopardy. Giving up the Judicial Appointments Commission will destroy this legacy, and wreak havoc on us. Do not give up the committee '', asked the Movement for Governance asked.