Growing assessment on the right: Netanyahu is heading toward a broad government – and here's who will pay the price

In the circle of Itamar Ben-Gvir, assessments are growing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is aiming after the elections for a broader government, including Gadi Eisenkot, even at the cost of leaving Otzma Yehudit out of the coalition. The assessment is based on an analysis of Netanyahu's patterns of action over the years, including the addition of Ehud Barak in 2009 and Tzipi Livni in 2013. According to the associates, such a move would require abandoning the continuation of the judicial reform.

In the circle of Itamar Ben-Gvir, the assessment is growing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to form a broader government after the elections, including Gadi Eisenkot, even at the cost of leaving the Otzma Yehudit party out of the coalition. The assessment is based on an analysis of Netanyahu's patterns of action over the years: in 2009 he added Ehud Barak and the Labor Party, while the National Union remained outside; in 2013 he reached understandings with Tzipi Livni and formed a government with Yesh Atid and The Jewish Home, while the Haredim remained in the opposition. According to the associates, moving to a broad government would require Netanyahu to abandon the continuation of the judicial reform and allow a more statesmanlike term. However, they acknowledge that a government with Eisenkot could be complex and less stable, while Otzma Yehudit might provide a stable partnership over a full term. The central question, they say, is how much freedom of choice Netanyahu will have – the more options available to him, the greater the chance he will return to the pattern of a broad coalition with a balancing factor on the left of Likud.

Growing assessment on the right: Netanyahu is heading toward a broad government – and here's who will pay the price