Political analysts are rushing Wednesday to asses the new state of the government, following reports that Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party will now join Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
Liberman was offered the position of Defense Minister, reports stated Wednesday night, and the party was also offered the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption.
But analysts at Walla! News predict that the current Absorption Minister, MK Ze’ev Elkin (Likud), will now be offered the position of Economy Minister as well. The position was previously held by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who abdicated in November 2015; Netanyahu has technically held the position in the months since.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu is also expected to give MK Tzachi Hanegbi the Strategic Affairs Ministry, currently held by MK Gilad Erdan (Likud), in order to fulfill a promise he made Hanegbi when the government was formed.
A separate political source told the daily that Jewish Home chairman Naftali Bennett, currently Education Minister, may fill the Foreign Minister position, which is also vacant; current Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked would replace him, and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin would become Justice Minister.