Just 18 minutes before his mandate to form a government expired, Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu called President Isaac Herzog on the phone to inform him that he had succeeded in his task. Among the agreements concluded is a surprising clause stipulating that the incoming Minister of Housing & Construction will have a seat in the political-security cabinet. The person holding this position will be the head of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, Yitzhak Goldknopf, and as such he will be the first-ever UTJ member to have a seat in this key cabinet.
In addition to this appointment, the UTJ party with its seven seats will receive eight government positions. Two of its members will be ministers -- Goldknopf, as mentioned, and another UTJ member who will serve as Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage. The party will also have two deputy-ministers, one of whom will serve concurrently in both the Transportation Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
Four UTJ members will also be appointed as chairmen of Knesset committees. READ MORE
