After a day of high political drama, it appears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's narrow 61-MK coalition will expand next week with the addition of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu Party, which holds six Knesset seats. Lieberman is expected to be appointed defense minister, replacing current Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud). Ya'alon will be offered the foreign affairs portfolio, currently held by Netanyahu. On Wednesday afternoon, Netanyahu and Lieberman agreed to appoint negotiating teams to hammer out the details of their coalition deal. Negotiators hope to finalize the deal by the end of the week. As part of the coalition deal, it is expected that Yisrael Beytenu MK Sofa Landver will be appointed immigrant absorption minister, a role she previously served in from 2009-2015. Current Immigrant Absorption Minister Zeev Elkin (Likud) might receive the economy portfolio. Or he might get the tourism portfolio, and current Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) will get the economy portfolio. Levin said on Wednesday that Lieberman will bring the government "stability." Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) called Yisrael Beytenu a "natural partner in a nationalist government." Lieberman's demands include legislation that will institute a death penalty for terrorists. He is also seeking pension and mortgage reforms. The 57-year-old Lieberman, who has been both an ally and rival of Netanyahu in the past, has held a number of cabinet posts during his political career, including two stints as foreign minister. The Yisrael Beytenu leader's surprise move to join the coalition came after days of speculation that Isaac Herzog's Labor Party was set to join. Associates of Netanyahu had been pressing Herzog to make a decision, but Herzog hesitated due to internal pressure from members of his party who opposed joining the coalition. Lieberman reshuffled the deck midday Wednesday when he held a press conference at which he said, "If it's true we've been offered the defense portfolio, a death sentence for terrorists, pension reform and other things I've heard, this is a serious offer that we can talk about. But we won't conduct negotiations via emissaries. If they want to speak with us, everything needs to be on the table, with full transparency." After the press conference, Netanyahu called Lieberman and invited him to a meeting later in the day. After the meeting, which was held in a positive atmosphere, Netanyahu and Lieberman agreed to appoint negotiating teams to work out a coalition deal. On Wednesday night, Herzog said he would work to topple the "crazy right-wing government." Not all Likud MKs were happy with the potential appointment of Lieberman as defense minister. In a Channel 2 interview on Wednesday, Likud MK Benny Begin, the son of the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin, said, "This is a bizarre appointment. This step reflects irresponsibility toward the defense establishment and the citizens of Israel. ... The prime minister apparently prefers to replace the difficulties of managing a coalition with a narrow majority with larger difficulties."
