Israel's Zionist Union considers joining 'unity government': Report

The largest opposition party in Israel may be about to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, according to local reports that emerged on Sunday.

If the centre-left Zionist Union joins Netanyahu’s right-wing government it would become responsible for the stalled peace process with the Palestinians, Haaretz reported, citing an unnamed source from the ruling Likud Party.

Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog’s office denied the Haaretz report and said it was “spin”, but the Israeli newspaper outlined what it said were plans for a “unity government”.

The plan is said to include “seven or eight” of the Zionist Union’s 24 Knesset members in the cabinet, with another seven or eight becoming deputy ministers or chairs of Knesset committees.

Herzog, the paper reported, would take up the role of chief negotiator with the Palestinians as well as becoming foreign minister.

The Zionist Union is a political alliance that was established in December 2014 to contest parliamentary elections. It is comprised of the Labour Party, Hatnauh led by former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni and the Green Movement.

Its leader Herzog is a former Israeli army intelligence officer who is now chair of the Labour Party, after having served as a government minister in previous parliaments. The Zionist Union emerged as Israel’s second largest party in the 2015 election on a ticket of pledging to tackle a cost of living crisis in the country as well as promising to reinvigorate peace talks with the Palestinians.

Rumours that the party may be about to join Netanyahu’s government have increased since reports that criminal investigations may be dropped against Herzog over corruption charges.

However, there are two key sticking points that may halt a coalition between the government and main opposition party.

The right wing Jewish Home Party, led by Education Minister Naftali Bennett, would not be removed from the coalition, and the overall policies of the government would not be “substantially altered” according to Haaretz.

But unnamed Likud officials who spoke to Haaretz said Jewish Home may voluntarily choose to go into opposition if the Zionist Union joins the government.

The unnamed Haaretz source said the Zionist Union had been contemplating joining the government since April prior to the launch of a corruption probe against Herzog, which then led to plans being put on hold.

Zionist Union members may support a move into government, despite it being to join rivals who they fought an election against, because it would involve many of them being promoted to government posts.

The possibility of a unity government remains unclear for now because Zionist Union co-leader Livni has repeatedly said in public that she would reject such a move.

Herzog’s office described the Haaretz story as a “Likud rumour” and added that they would “continue to fight to replace Netanyahu’s government”.