• Negotiations to form a national emergency government between the Likud and Blue and White parties have reportedly stalled due to disagreements over key ministerial posts and future plans to apply Israeli sovereignty to communities in the West Bank.
• According to reports, the two sides disagree over who will be appointed to the posts of Justice Minister, Knesset speaker, Police Commissioner and introducing a new judicial appointment process. In addition, right wing politicians are demanding that the unity government commit to apply Israeli sovereignty to communities in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
• Channel 13 and Haaretz reported yesterday that a draft coalition agreement includes the creation of a separate official residence for the deputy prime minister. Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz are supposed to rotate the premiership for 18 months each, with the other taking up the deputy post.
• A final coalition deal has also been delayed due to the wider question of the allocation of ministerial portfolios. A key condition for Gantz was that ministries would be divided equally between Blue and White and Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc of parties – with the future government likely to have more than 30 ministers, a record.
• With negotiations ongoing, Gantz associates told Ynet yesterday that: “We want to form an emergency government, but we won’t enter government at any price.”
• A coalition agreement may reportedly be concluded by Monday 6 April, although if that deadline isn’t met then a new government may only be formed after the Passover holiday on 16 April.
• Gantz said last week stated that it was vital for Israel that an emergency government be formed in order to tackle the unprecedented pandemic and heal divisions within Israeli society. With talks now dragging on it is clear that less urgent, but more politically sensitive, issues are taking centre stage.

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A brief thought on Yom HaZikaron & Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel's Memorial and Independence Days) and to express gratitude to you especially during this strange moment of quarantine and social distancing.

• There are now 16,004 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Israel. 223 Israelis have sadly died from Coronavirus.
• However, the majority of Israeli Coronavirus patients 8,758, have now recovered. The number of people on ventilators has also dropped from 90 to 83 in the past 44 hours, but 105 patients remain in serious condition.
• With the number of active cases on the decline, Israel has begun lifting some of the strict social distancing measures implemented last month.
• There is a continuing debate inside the government about whether or not to reopen the school system. A ministerial committee will make a final decision today.
• There are 478 cases of Coronavirus in the Palestinian Authority controlled areas of the West Bank, but only four deaths so far.
• There are 17 cases in Hamas-controlled Gaza.
• No Palestinians are now in intensive care or on ventilators with Coronavirus so the PA is getting ready for a gradual return to normal.