The offer includes the Education and Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage portfolios, as well as, a deputy minister in charge of issues relating to the religious-Zionist community and the chairmanship of a Knesset committee.“The decision is Netanyahu’s,” Bennett tweeted. “As I have said from the start, we are only interested in entering a [government] where we would have influence, and influence comes from the issues for which we would be responsible. If the [Prime Minister] wants us in positions of influence we would be happy to enter, but if he wants us weak and on the fringes we would rather be in the opposition.”Likud responded that Netanyahu had improved his offer to Bennett, but that he cared only about cabinet posts and not about ideology. Yamina denied that the offer had improved.Throughout the negotiation process Netanyahu and Bennett have so harshly criticized each other, appearing to have burning bridges.But Netanyahu has made a point of not giving out the portfolios he offered Yamina, so the right-wing party joining the coalition is still possible.The Yesha Council on Wednesday reiterated its call for Netanyahu and Bennett to patch up the differences between them so that the Yamina party could enter the government.It said that placed “extreme value” on Yamina’s partnership in a government that would take the historic step of applying sovereignty to the settlements.Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.Surprise: @netanyahu and @naftalibennett will be meeting later today after they both burned bridges. Meanwhile the portfolios Likud wanted to give Yamina are still there for the taking.
— Gil Hoffman (@Gil_Hoffman) May 13, 2020
Netanyahu, Bennett discussion closes door on Yamina joining coalition
“The decision is Netanyahu’s,” Bennett wrote on Twitter.
