The Likud Party is very close to signing coalition agreements with Kulanu and United Torah Judaism, but negotiations with Shas and Habayit Hayehudi are still ongoing, a source privy to the coalition talks told Israel Hayom Monday. With nine days left before the two-week extension period afforded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form his new government expires, a Likud source said the deals with Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon and United Torah Judaism head Yakov Litzman may be signed as early as Tuesday evening. Disagreements with Shas, however, persist: Party chairman Aryeh Deri, protesting the fact that Netanyahu has agreed to give Kahlon control over the Interior Ministry's Planning Administration, now demands two ministerial portfolios in exchange for joining the coalition -- social services and economy and trade -- as compensation for being offered a truncated interior portfolio. At this time, however, Netanyahu has refused Deri's demands. Sources familiar with the negotiations between Likud and Shas said that once it is decided which ministry Deri will head, Likud will be able to sign coalition deals with both Kulanu and United Torah Judaism, and begin drafting the agreement with Shas. The deals with the ultra-Orthodox parties, however, may spell the end of the road for the bill seeking to reform [LINK 'reform': http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=13079] the religious conversion process. While the bill was sanctioned by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation during the previous Knesset's term, Shas seeks to reinstate the Chief Rabbinate's full jurisdiction over conversions. The demand coincides with a stipulation made by United Torah Judaism to revoke the so-called Tzohar law, which seeks to allow Israeli couples to register for marriage at any rabbinate rather than being compelled to register at the rabbinate affiliated with their municipality, and reinstate the Chief Rabbinate's full jurisdiction over the registration process. Another bill that will likely be shelved over the haredi parties' demands is the proposal to have only one chief rabbi of Israel, instead of two -- an Ashkenazi one and a Sephardi one. Meanwhile, Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett is said to be waiting for Netanyahu's decision on whether or not to appoint him education minister. The education portfolio was offered to Bennett several weeks ago, but he rejected it at the time. The delay in Netanyahu's decision stems from the growing disapproval within his Likud Party over the fact that the prime minister has offered major economic and social portfolios to other parties, rather than reserving the positions for Likud members. Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, who has his eye on the Education Ministry, said Monday that he expects Netanyahu to ensure Likud will keep the education portfolio. With the next government poised to number 22 ministers, one of the first things it will have to do would be to amend Basic Law: The Government, which currently limits the number of ministers to 18. The current law further states any change to the number of ministers requires a 70 MK majority vote, but as the coalition is likely to number 67 MKs, the government would actually have to introduce a second amendment to the Basic Law, revising the required majority vote. Both amendments will be subjected to regular legislation proceedings and will have to pass three Knesset readings. Sources familiar with the process said that as it may be impossible to hold three readings for both amendments and see the new government sworn in on the same day, Likud may choose to name an 18-minister government pending the completion of the legislative process, which is likely to take no more than a few days, and then induct the remaining four ministers. Also on Monday, Netanyahu met with Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Galon, who expressed concern over Likud's intent to pursue legislation that will change the balance of power between the Knesset and the High Court of Justice. Following the meeting, Galon warned that Netanyahu was "willing to crush the High Court of Justice. Netanyahu has become the radical Right's lackey. He is going back on public commitments he made in the past, and he is willing to undermine the foundations of democracy for political interest."
