Israel 2009

[ag]

So,this is what Barak got. He is staying on as the Defense Minister, Isaac Herzog is staying the Social Affairs Minister, Shalom Simhon is continuing as the Agriculture minister, Fuad Ben-Elieser will be appointed Industry, Trade and Labor Minister: 4 major positions at the top of major departments. In addition, Matan Vilnai is going to be the Deputy Defense Minister.  They are also promised another deputy minister job, and a mnister w/out portfolio.

So far 7 Laborites have accepted the decision to join the gov't (Orit Noked is the other Barak ally, and Daniel Ben-Simon, though originally opposed, has said that he will accept the Central Committee decision). So 7 jobs for 7 people - neat deal.  YB people seem puzzled: they have 15 seats in Knesset and as many seats in the cabinet as Labor. They might be reconciled though by the thought that Laborites will sanctify Lieberman as the FM. Likudniks are fuming: they have 27 seats, and will control barely more departments then the Laborites (only Finance among the important ones).

6 people have said they will stay in the Labor party - but in opposition. Labor, as it currently exists, might be gone - they are very likely to split. The labor MKs against the coalition are, if I am not mistaken, Eitan Cabel (party Sec. Gen.), Ofir Pines-Paz, Shelly Yahimovich, Yuli Tamir, Amir Peretz and Avishai Braverman. Without them the gov't needs another coalition partner - they are negotiating w/ NU.

[ag]

Well, the survival of Meretz is ensured for the next election.

Their leaders are calling on dissident Laborites to join. Actually, makes a lot of sense: 3 Meretzers + 6 dissident Laborites would make a bigger faction then the official Labor.

[ag]

Likud have signed with Jewish Home, and Hershkovitz will become the minister of science.

Yep. And what is Likud getting? Ministry for Electronic Cow Barn Construction in Southeastern Negev?

[ag]

They should split Galilee and Negev - that's two departments already! And diaspora, society and fight against antisemitism can surely be made into three departments! Hey, I would think 2 people could share the heavy burden of the fight against antisemitism alone - that's an eternal job, anyways!

I remember once passing a sign in Moscow which said:

Russian Soviet Federated Sociallist Republic (it was a long time ago)
The Council of Ministers of the RSFSR
Ministry for Construction in Distant Parts of Northern European Russia (or something like that)

I think the Israelis could learn from the old mother Russia, the country that once had separate ministries for Light Manufacturing, for Heavy Manufacturing and for Intermediate Manufacturing (considering that the latter was just a Newspeak for the Ministry for Nuclear Mischief, this would be tripply appropriate - my Ministry for Electronic Cow Barn Construction in Southeastern Negev would be even more descriptive, methinks).

[ag]

Yeah, thinking of it, Likud (sans Netaniyahu) would have gotten more in a Kadima-led cabinet.

[ag]

Netaniyahu is planning to keep finance for himself This guy has some guts: this is courting rebellion.