Tel-Chai Nation

The Jerusalem Post reports that Prof. Uriel Reichman has rejected Ehud Olmert's offers for a cabinet position, because he couldn't get the ministries he wanted:

Kadima MK Uriel Reichman told Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he would not attend their meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Olmert had expected to take the opportunity to inform Reichman that he would not be offered the Education portfolio - promised him by Ariel Sharon - which will most likely go to Labor MK Yuli Tamir.

Reichman's aides had said that he would reject Olmert's offer of the justice portfolio instead of the education portfolio and return to the presidency of the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center.

Sources close to Olmert criticized Reichman's cancellation of the meeting. "Pressure and threats won't help here," they said.

Tamir told Israel Radio that she admired Reichman, and that despite the difference in their ideologies, there was no conflict between them. She added that she would be very glad to see Reichman remain in politics.

The TV news has reported that he's now resigning from the Knesset and politics and returning to his job at a college institution, and it certainly weakens Olmert's reputation. But that aside, what's really irksome is how these would-be politicians are wasting money:

In regard to the projected cost of 27 ministers in the new government, Tamir said that a wide coalition necessitated a wide government, which would assure stability.

It should be noted that the direct elections law, which was legislated and then nullified, referred to a government of 18 ministers and six deputy ministers. A government of 27 ministers would cost an additional NIS 400 million for the four-year term.

However wide the government might be, some disappointment among ministerial candidates was inevitable. Since Labor party chairman Amir Peretz will likely receive the defense portfolio, Olmert met with current Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Sunday morning to ask Mofaz to resign. Olmert reportedly offered him an economic portfolio, and asked Mofaz to remain a member of the security and defense cabinet.

New Labor MK Shelly Yahimovic on Sunday called the coalition agreement reached on Thursday night between Olmert and Peretz "a significant political achievement for Labor."

But not for Kadima. However, what certainly is angering is that the overspending that's likely to occur if this is how they form a government.

On NFC, while this is in Hebrew, they give some additional data, and report that Reichman is leaving Kadima. In fairness, I will say that the current development strengthens Shas and Yisrael Beitenu's own coalition demands, and that they could send some sterner messages that way.

For the record, see also this article, which talks about how some left-wing newspaper writers are no longer sure they want to support Olmert's plans to retreat from Yesha.