When the exit polls Tuesday night suggested a draw between Likud and the Zionist Union, it was somewhat of a general consensus among politicians and commentators that the process of forming a coalition would take a while. It was estimated that the tie between the two major parties would make it difficult for them to establish a government without the other, because, both would be subjected to haggling and even extortion by the smaller parties. However, as morning came and the Likud's advantage over the Zionist Union became remarkably apparent, each of the big parties' leaders automatically knew where they belonged: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the head of the cabinet table and Zionist Union Chairman Isaac Herzog as leader of the opposition. The makeup of the government is also clear as there is no one in the Right who wants to form a unity government and there is no one on the Left willing to join such a government without rotation. And a rotation is not in the cards; therefore, for better or for worse, it is feasible form a right-wing coalition without delay, especially when all the partners are not hiding behind unreasonable demands. It is therefore befitting that Netanyahu returns, with small adjustments created by time, to the known basic lines of the previous government. We all know that promises are easy to make, but hard to keep, so all we could do is hope that this time they come to fruition. This is a test for the new ministers. Filling the ministerial positions will also be easier than usual. It is obvious that Avigdor Lieberman situation following Yisrael Beytenu's defeat in the ballots re-enforces what had already been known before his party's entanglement in police investigations -- he is not up for the defense portfolio. Neither is Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett, who lost a third of his parliamentary power. Moshe Ya'alon has been a successful defense minister and maintains excellent working relations with Netanyahu. He will undoubtedly remain in his position. Lieberman could receive a ministerial position that has nothing to do with defense or the rule of law. Evidently, Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon is going to be finance minister as Netanyahu will keep his word, despite the enormous struggle that is taking place behind the scenes in Likud. The election results also indicate that because Habayit Hayhudi consists of only eight MKs, the Foreign Ministry will be run by a Likud member. Gilad Erdan, Silvan Shalom and Yisrael Katz would all be happy to become foreign minister. And for the rest of the ministries (education, health, justice, interior and transportation), there are also numerous candidates. Therefore, distributing the portfolios is going to be an easy task. Netanyahu might soon present President Reuven Rivlin with a complete, final and unanimously agreed upon list.
