It appears that a breakthrough has been reached in the coalition negotiation meeting between Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism party chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich Monday.
Under the new compromise, Smotrich would waive his demands for the defense and religious affairs portfolios and would be appointed Finance Minister in the new government.
Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri, who had been demanding the finance portfolio, would receive the Interior Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry, and the Negev and Galilee Ministry, and a member of the Shas party would receive a position in the Prime Minister's Office
The Otzma Yehudit party would receive the Agriculture Ministry, and MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf would be the most likely candidate to become Agriculture Minister.
Earlier, Otzma Yehudit chairman MK Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that if he is not given the opportunity to assist Israel's periphery communities his party will not join the incoming government and remain in the opposition.
"We asked for the transportation or education portfolios. Unfortunately, we received a negative response, but then they offered us the periphery portfolio. My goal is tohelp the periphery. I live in Hebron and the settlements are dear to my heart, but the periphery is just as important to me," Ben-Gvir said at the weekly Otzma Yehudit faction meeting.
"Yesterday was a difficult day when they broke the first commitment they gave us just a week ago. Without being able to restore order to the streets and without being able to help the periphery, the Negev and the Galilee - we will not be in the government, that's what we were voted in for, and it's part of our soul."