BICOM

What’s happened: Twenty minutes before the midnight deadline on Wednesday night, Benjamin Netanyahu informed the president he had successfully reached agreements to form a government.

• Netanyahu told Herzog, “Thanks to the massive public support we received in the recent general election, I inform you that I have successfully formed a government that will work for the benefit of all citizens of Israel,”
• Herzog replied, noting, “you have promised to work for the benefit of the entire nation of Israel; I hope all of you enlist in this mission, at this period of time. May you be successful.”
• The Likud is still in final negotiations with their right wing partners to conclude the coalition agreements, but some details have been released.

 

Likud – Religious Zionist Party: The agreement includes:

• Prioritising legislation on judicial reform, both regarding the ability of the court to ‘override’ Knesset laws and changes to the judicial selection committee. The agreement notes the need to restore the proper balance between the legislative branch and the judiciary.
• Eight billion shekels (£1.9bn) to be spent on a five-year plan to upgrade roads in the West Bank. This reverses the spending priorities of outgoing Transport Minister Merav Michaeli leader of the Labour Party.
• Appointing a national religious chief rabbi (until now the roles of both Sephardi and Ashkenazi chief rabbis have been Ultra-orthodox).
• Reviewing the ‘grandchild clause’ of the Law of Return. The current law allows non-Jewish grandchildren of Jews that have immigrated to Israel the full range of rights and benefits. The Likud has not fully accepted the cancellation and agreed that the law will be reviewed by a special committee.
• A new kosher supervision law, which cancels a more decentralised version introduced by the outgoing government.
• Legislating a new Basic Law: Torah Study.  This will enshrine bible study as a fundamental value recognised in law. It could then serve as precedent to justify learning instead of military service for Ultra-orthodox men.

 

Likud – Jewish Power:

• The incoming national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, will have the authority to decide the rules of engagement for the police. The commonly cited example imagines a scenario involving an Israeli soldier facing someone holding a Molotov cocktail, and asks whether it’s necessary to wait before the cocktail is thrown before shooting, or if all other measures should be taken first, with live fire only used as a last resort.
• In an unprecedented move the Shin Bet security service will expand its remit to deal with crime in Arab society.
• To repeal the law preventing someone running for Knesset being disqualified on the grounds of incitement to racism. In the past, Ben Gvir’s allies were prevented from running.
• Banning the waving or displaying of Palestinian flags in institutions funded by the state or in local authorities.
• Establishment of minimum sentences of three years in prison for agricultural crime and three years for demanding protection payments.
• Provide legal immunity for members of the security forces.
• Defining incitement against the Ultra-orthodox sector as racism.

 

Likud – UTJ: This agreement has more than 120 sections, some of the ‘highlights’ include:

• For the first time, UTJ will have a representative in the security cabinet, housing and construction minister designate Yitzchak Goldknopf.
• A commitment that before the 2023 budget is passed, a new military draft bill will secure the status of yeshiva students.
• The UTJ will have the right to veto all issues of religion and state.
• Funding for religious institutions will be expanded and the budgets for educational institutions in the Ultra-orthodox community be made equal to those in general education.
• A representative of the rabbinate will be a permanent member of the committee that decides on work permits during the Sabbath.
• Leading prayer services at the Western Wall will be exclusively determined by the Chief Rabbinate and the rabbi of the Western Wall. This appears to cancel recommended reforms accommodating non-orthodox Jews.
• Cancelling the outgoing government’s tax on disposable plates, cutlery items and high sugar soft drinks.
• A committee will explore recognising rabbinical ordination as equivalent to a university degree to allow more ultra-Orthodox to apply for civil service jobs. Another section, considered unprecedented, states that five years of work experience be considered equivalent to a degree.

 

Looking forward: Netanyahu now has another week to complete the task of distributing government portfolios ahead of the formal swearing in ceremony.

• The most significant remaining challenge will be the allocation of positions for Likud MKs.
• As Yediot Ahronot commentator Sima Kadmon concluded: “The one thing that is likely to be somewhat reassuring is that not everything that’s written in these agreements will be carried out. As we learned from Netanyahu, pledges are one thing and implementation is another.”