Likud officials hoping to be appointed to various ministerial positions in the next government have taken a new tactic to getting what they want – overt threats to coalition partners. 

On Thursday, MK Miri Regev (Likud) attacked three of Likud’s intended coalition partners – Jewish Home, Yisrael Beytenu, and Kulanu, as well as their respective chairmen, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, and Moshe Kahlon. 

“The public cannot come and complain to Likud if we go with a unity government and in two years we have elections again,” Regev argued. “This is the result of Bennet, Kahlon, and Liberman’s extortionist behavior.”

“Their conduct is like spitting in the face of the public. Likud, with 30 seats, will not use a Decorating Committee in the next government,” Regev charged. 

According to Regev, who has made clear that she expects a ministerial post in the coming government, “the Prime Minister is working to establish a stable government, with the ability to govern and make significant reforms for the public.” 

“Just as we promised during the elections,” she added. 

“The time has come for the public that supports small and mid-sized parties to send a clear message to their representatives – the message that they want a government headed by Netanyahu to be established as soon as possible, a stable national government that will take care of the public.” 

“Enough with the blackmail,” Regev declaimed. 

Interior Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud), meanwhile, implied Thursday morning that Likud’s potential coalition partners were overreaching. 

“When Likud receives 30 mandates, and the next party in line is one-third of that number, and the rest less so, it makes sense that we insist that what the public chose, the public will get. 

“The opposite – to deposit the central portfolios into the hands of our coalition partners – is to distort the will of the voter,” Erdan added. 

Erdan also leveled criticism at the disgruntled Kahlon, who canceled his negotiation meeting with Likud for Thursday, after Netanyahu promised finance committee positions to United Torah Judaism.