The portfolio no one wants: The deal that could bring Abbas to the Interior Ministry

The Interior Ministry, one of the most important portfolios in the government, has been without a permanent minister for over a year. The article examines possible scenarios for filling the position in the next government: the return of Shas with Deri or a representative on his behalf, handing it to a party in a change government 2.0 (to Lazimi, Kariv, or Golan), rewarding a senior Likud member (Ofir Katz, Eli Cohen, and others), or an unusual deal that would allow Mansour Abbas to serve as deputy minister with the status of a minister in the Interior Ministry.

The Interior Ministry, one of the most important and influential portfolios in the government, has been without a permanent minister for over a year since Shas left the government and Minister Moshe Arbel resigned. The article examines four main scenarios for filling the position in the next government. The first scenario: Shas will demand to return to the ministry, with the question being whether Deri himself will be appointed through legislation that bypasses the High Court's disqualification, or whether he will send a representative on his behalf. The second scenario: In a change government 2.0, the Interior Ministry could serve as a compromise solution for parties like Labor or Meretz, with candidates such as Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, or even Yair Golan himself. The third scenario: In a broad unity government, Netanyahu could reward a loyal senior Likud member like Ofir Katz, Eli Cohen, Miri Regev, Miki Zohar, or Dudi Amsalem. The fourth and most surprising scenario: A deal that would allow Mansour Abbas to serve as deputy minister with the status of a minister in the Interior Ministry, similar to the model previously used by United Torah Judaism, thereby avoiding controversial decisions while gaining significant political power. The ministry's budget stands at about 413 million shekels in 2026, but its real power lies in control over planning and construction through the Planning Administration, and authority over the Population and Immigration Authority.