The deputy leader of the Labor Party on Wednesday slammed Ayelet Shaked's demands to unseat the left-wing faction's leader from a vital judicial committee as part of the "coalition for change" negotiations as the deadline to form a new government looms.
Yair Lapid's mandate to form a government entered its last day on Wednesday, with negotiations to establish a coalition stalling over Yamina senor official's demand to be given a seat on the Judicial Selection Committee - a position already promised to Labor leader Merav Michaeli.
"Shaked's demand is forceful and predatory, and if [those demands] are what will lead the next government, its chances of survival will be low," MK Omer Bar-Lev told Ynet.
"There is an agreement between the Labor Party and Yesh Atid that Merav Michaeli is the government's representative on the committee and there is no room to reopen this issue."
He added that Labor lifted its initial demand to receive finance and justice portfolios in order to allow for the new government to be formed.
Sources in the center-left bloc said there is a fear that Shaked's demand is a political "exercise" meant to overthrow the new government before it had even been formed.
The proposed compromise was for Labor to have a representative on the panel to choose judges as well as chairmanship of another Knesset committee. Michaeli however was yet to accept.
Another obstacle on the path to forming government appears to be the demand of Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas to reverse, or at least temporarily suspend, a law that facilitates the demolition of homes build in violation of code, most prevalent in Arab communities. The contentious Kaminitz Law was legislated by the Justice Ministry when it was headed by Shaked.
Senior political figures have said that the one who has been putting pressure on Abbas behind-the-scenes is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The premier apprently told the Ra'am leader not to compromise on the issue at any cost.
In the meantime, Lapid's Yesh Atid party and Gantz's Blue & White said in a joint statement they had "agreed on the outlines of the government and core issues relating to the strengthening of democracy and Israeli society".