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With Yesh Atid and Jewish Home set to exact a price in ministerial portfolios as part of a coalition deal with Likud-Beitenu, reports suggest that limited ministerial opportunities are causing disappointment in Likud’s parliamentary ranks.

Although the exact number of ministers in the next government is yet to be finalised, Yesh Atid insists that there must be fewer than in the previous government. Current media reports suggest that there will be 25 ministerial slots, with several each going to Yesh Atid and Jewish Home. Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to hold the foreign ministry portfolio himself in anticipation of Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman returning to the role in the future. Netanyahu is also expected to appoint Moshe Ya’alon as defence minister and is apparently keen for Gideon Sa’ar to remain in the education ministry. This leaves few high-profile ministerial roles open to ambitious, younger Likud parliamentarians such as Tzipi Hotovely, Danny Danon, Ze’ev Elkin and Yariv Levin, who garnered strong support during the party’s primaries.

Hotovely told Israel Army radio yesterday “It’s a mistake to go for old politics and recycling the old list of ministers,” while Danon commented, “I hope the prime minister will consider the results of the primary… Netanyahu can’t ignore what Likud voters want.”

In a separate development, several Israeli dailies report that Netanyahu has withdrawn support for veteran Likud parliamentarian Reuven Rivlin to continue in his role as Knesset speaker. Yediot Ahronot calls it an “ouster” and says that Netanyahu regards Rivlin as too conciliatory to the opposition in parliamentary affairs and will support an alternative Likud candidate, such as Yuli Edelstein or Yuval Steinitz for the position. Maariv suggests that Rivlin is already planning retaliate, should the Likud faction nominate an alternative candidate in a vote later today.