BICOM

Representatives of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitenu faction and Naftali Bennett’s Jewish Home party are scheduled to meet this morning in Ramat Gan, in order to discuss the possibility of brokering a coalition agreement between the two parties.

Reports in the Israeli media this morning suggest that Jewish Home negotiators wish to discuss the state budget, a plan to enlist ultra-Orthodox religious seminary students and will demand that Likud-Beitenu revoke the coalition agreement made earlier this week which would see Tzipi Livni head any future peace talks with the Palestinians.

According to sources quoted in both Haaretz and Times of Israel, Jewish Home representatives have reiterated that they have no intention of breaching a pact with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, under which neither party will enter a coalition without the other. Several Israeli dailies report that the Yesh Atid-Jewish Home pact may become a three-way alliance after Lapid and Bennett met yesterday with Kadima head Shaul Mofaz. Apparently, the three leaders are formulating a united front over drafting ultra-Orthodox students. It had been thought that Mofaz was close to joining a Netanyahu-led coalition. Israel Hayom speculates that coordination between the three could see demands for Lapid to be appointed foreign minister, Bennett as finance minister and Mofaz to become defence minister as a condition for joining Netanyahu’s government.

Amidst the coalition uncertainty, the suggestion of new elections is being discussed in the media. This morning, both Maariv and Sof Hashavua published polls indicating how the country would vote if a fresh poll were held. Both indicate a drop in support for Likud-Beitenu and gains by both Yesh Atid and Jewish Home. The Sof Hashavua poll even suggests that Yesh Atid would become the Knesset’s largest party.