Wednesday, September 9, 2009

PM Netanyahu repays Vice Premier Shalom for his lack of support - adds Yishai to Inner Cabinet forum; UPDATE: Shalom Angry

Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided to join Eli Yishai Minister of the Interior (Shas) to the inner cabinet ruling until-now Sextet, while Vice premier Silvan Shalom is remaining out, Sources in the political establishment believe the move will anger Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom and that the move was made as a retaliation on behalf of Netanyahu for Shalom's latest critics and lack of support backing the PM on the agreement with the US, and the plan to reduce construction activities in the Settlements.


For weeks, the only faction in the coalition that stood unanimously behind all of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's moves was Shas.

Payback time came Wednesday when the Prime Minister's Office announced that Shas chairman Eli Yishai would be added to the previously six-member inner cabinet that makes key decisions on matters of security and diplomacy.

Yishai had received a commitment from Netanyahu to be included in the forum when Shas joined the coalition but the final deal was reached only a month ago. In the past month, Yishai has spoken out in favor of Netanyahu's plans to temporarily freeze construction in Judea and Samaria.

UPDATE: Minister for Regional Development Silvan Shalom was irate over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to include Shas Chairman Eli Yishai in the narrow security forum dubbed "the sextet."

Likud sources said Shalom regards the decision a "personal insult," adding that it is like Netanyahu was trying to "teach Shalom a lesson" for speaking against the planned settlement freeze, as he expressed his anger to a Likud colleague: "You saw what he did to me with Eli Yishai?".