No Script

Please Wait...

Ramadan Kareem...

Bibi to Meet Kahlon for Coalition Talks

Bibi to Meet Kahlon for Coalition Talks
folder_openZionist Entity access_time4 years ago
starAdd to favorites

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Moshe Kahlon will meet Thursday morning for coalition-building talks amid reports the primer is pushing for Kahlon’s four-seat Kulanu to merge into his Likud party.

The meeting will take place at the prime minister’s private residence in the northern town of Caesarea.

However, Kahlon is reportedly cooling on the idea of a merger between the parties, Channel 13 news reported Wednesday.

Sources close to the Kulanu leader told the outlet that Kahlon will not raise the possibility of a merger during his meeting with the premier, and will not agree to it if offered.

On Monday, Channel 13 news reported Netanyahu had been mulling offering Kahlon the post of foreign minister, a high-profile position that he kept for himself during his previous term, and had made the offer in a telephone call on Sunday.

However, Kahlon, who served as finance minister in the outgoing government, is believed to be insisting on holding on to that position, the report said.

The two leaders haven’t met since the April 9 election, though Netanyahu has sat down with all the other parties he hopes to fold into his coalition, namely Yisrael Beytenu, United Torah Judaism, Shas, and the Union of Right-Wing Parties.

If a Likud-Kulanu merger goes ahead, it could boost Netanyahu’s battle against corruption allegations.

Kahlon had said until recently that he would not support Netanyahu remaining in office if he is charged in the three corruption cases in which he is facing indictment pending a hearing. Political analysts said Thursday that Netanyahu would be unlikely to approve a merger with Kahlon if the finance minister was still standing by that position.

Comments