From Arutz Sheva, 15:14 May 01, '06 / 3 Iyar 5766, by Hillel Fendel:
The consent of Shas to join Olmert's coalition provided the margin of difference, and Olmert was able to inform President Katzav today that he has succeeded in forming a government.
Shas demanded and received four ministerial positions, 1.8 billion shekels for child allowance payments, understandings regarding civil marriages - and permission not to vote for the unilateral withdrawal plan when and if it is presented.
The government, as it stands now, numbers 67 MKs: Kadima-Pensioners (36), Labor (19), and Shas (12).
United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu are still candidates to join the government coalition.
The road now appears to be clear for Ehud Olmert, as head of the new government, to attempt to carry out his unilateral withdrawal plan. Shas says it will vote against it, or possibly even quit the government, when and if the plan is presented to the Knesset. However, Olmert might not need their votes at the time, as he might choose to rely on the votes of non-government parties such as Meretz and the Arabs.
...United Torah Judaism and the National Union/National Religious Party have only criticism for Shas. "Their only social welfare achievement was to get jobs [ministerial positions - ed.] for four of their party leaders," according to a statement by NU/NRP. UTJ said that Shas' claimed coalition achievements are less than they seem. UTJ officials said that some of the money Shas received for child allowances would have been given in any event, while other portions of it are to be used for "children at risk" and not for across-the-board child allowances. The Ashkenazi hareidi-religious party also had criticism of Shas' alleged religious services gains.
In the meanwhile, Ehud Olmert announced his appointments for Kadima Party ministers today. They are:
1. Ehud Olmert - Prime Minister
2. Shimon Peres (formerly of Labor) - Minister for the Development of the Galilee and Negev, Assistant Prime Minister
3. Tzippy Livny - Foreign Minister
4. Sha'ul Mofaz - Transportation Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, member of the security mini-cabinet, and responsible for Strategic Dialogue
5. Chaim Ramon (formerly of Labor) - Justice Minister
6. Avraham Hirschson - Finance Minister
7. Ze'ev Boim - Absorption Minister
8. Avi Dichter - Minister of Public Security
9. Meir Sheetrit - Housing Minister, Israel Lands Authority, secret services, and Chairman of the Non-Jewish Sector Affairs Committee
10. Roni Bar'on - Interior Minister
11. Gideon Ezra - Minister of the Environment
12. Yaakov Edry - Liaison Minister Between Government and Knesset
Dalia Itzik (formerly of Labor) will be the Knesset Speaker.
The Labor Party's Central Committee narrowly approved on Sunday party leader Amir Peretz's proposal for the party's six ministers. The close vote showed that Peretz has a strong internal opposition, but for the meanwhile, the ministers will be as follows:
Amir Peretz - Defense Minister
Eitan Cabel - minister without portfolio, responsible for the Israel Broadcasting Authority
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer - Infrastructures Minister
Yitzchak Herzog - Tourism Minister
Yuli Tamir - Education Minister Shalom Simchon - Agriculture Minister
Ophir Pines - Minister of Culture and Sport.
Other ministers include:
Eli Yishai (Shas) - Minister of Trade and Deputy Prime Minister
Ariel Atias (Shas) - Minister of Communications
Yitzchak Cohen (Shas) - minister without portfolio
Meshulam Nahari (Shas) - minister without portfolio
Yaakov Ben Yizri (Pensioners) - Health
Rafi Eitan (Pensioners) - Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, responsible for Pensioners' Affairs
Ynet News 1/5/06, by Ilan Marciano reports:
Agreement with Kadima doesn’t obligate Shas to support the convergence plan; more benefits for Shas: Rabbinical court authority to be boosted, increased budget for disadvantaged haredi youth, ‘independent education’ monitor in Education Ministry
... This agreement raises a number of question marks, especially regarding how Olmert plans to push his “Convergence Plan” through the government.
The deal between the parties doesn’t obligate Shas to support the plan, and leaves it an open escape route: according to the deal, Olmert may change the coalition make-up at any time during the latter part of the session.
“Both sides and partners in the coalition will support and vote in favor of political policy as it was presented during Olmert’s inauguration speech,” the agreement says. That speech, however, neglects to mention the Convergence plan. Reinforcing the deal's ambiguity, in another clause Shas Chairman Eli Yishai clarifies: “Regarding the political section of the basic principles, I wish to clarify that the faction supports political policy as presented in your speech alone.”
Disadvantaged sectors
During elections, Shas made intense efforts to recruit votes from the disadvantaged and poor sectors.... However, when Shas representatives sat down at the negotiating table with Kadima, it became apparent that the promises the party made and the reality it could achieve did not quite match up. Olmert unequivocally refused to increase allowance payments to the disadvantaged. The sides solved the disagreement in the clause, “Allotment of resources for programs for poor children and adolescents,” although the bulk of the monies end up going to disadvantaged youths in the Haredi sector.
The clause on religious matters in the Kadima-Shas coalition agreement further testifies to the parity between promises made on the eve of elections and the reality. That clause rules that no legislation will be passed regarding marriage, for example, without Shas’ agreement.
Rabbinical courts
Additionally, the government will propose a law - bypassing the High Court of Justice - which grants rabbinical courts the authority to judge in financial matters between married couples. Rabbinical courts claimed for years that they should have the authority to rule in arbitration cases between partners, although the High Court of Justice decided three weeks ago that they did not have that authority.
Education
Finally, designated Education Minister Yuli Tamir should prepare to receive another minister in her office, who will be responsible for independent education, as insisted upon by Shas.
“The law will allow all Orthodox learning institutions to continue the unique curriculum they have practiced up until now. The law will ensure the continued existence of the Orthodox schools’ independent monitoring system,” the agreement says.
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