For over a year, Zionist Camp leader and Knesset member Isaac (Buji) Herzog has denied the existence of intensive negotiations he held with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding joining Netanyahu’s narrow right-wing government (61 coalition members out of 120 Knesset seats). While Al-Monitor reported on the existence of these contacts, Herzog continued to insist that nothing of the kind had taken place. Now it emerges that, indeed, negotiations had been held over a long period, involving various mediators, detailed proposals, joint memorandums of understanding and long-term plans.

One of the first facilitators of these negotiations was acclaimed American-Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who enjoys access to all the leaders of the Israeli political parties and often mediates between them. Subsequently, various political sources entered the picture, including Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, who never hid his hopes for widening of the government from the day it was founded.

In recent weeks, these negotiations ratcheted up and came to fruition. Netanyahu offered Herzog the Foreign Ministry and another seven to eight portfolios to his party, including the Ministry of Economy and Industry. According to Netanyahu’s proposal, 16 of the 24 Zionist Camp members of the Knesset would receive some kind of position if the party agreed to join the coalition.

According to a senior political source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Herzog wants “something extra.” He desires some kind of diplomatic payoff — a diplomatic achievement that would allow him to say that he wields influence over governmental policy. In his own words, the source said, Herzog wanted "a hand on the steering wheel.” So far, however, Netanyahu has not agreed to allow Herzog any kind of access to the “steering wheel.” Netanyahu does not want a construction freeze in the West Bank, opposes the expulsion of HaBayit HaYehudi (eight seats) from the government and will not give Herzog veto power over legislative or settlement issues. At the last minute, Netanyahu attempted to sweeten the pot by whipping out the defense portfolio for Herzog (this, too, was publicized at the time). The prime minister’s Defense Ministry offer to Herzog would come into effect two years from the founding of the present government in May 2015 — in other words, less than a year from now. This would, perhaps, allow Herzog to succeed in rehabilitating his image and gain a security aura.