Deri: "There's a good chance for a deal, but we're still far from that"

Shas leader MK Aryeh Deri, an observer in the war cabinet, gave an interview to journalist Yishai Cohen at Kikar Hashabbat, explaining that “yesterday there was a very long conversation, there is a good chance for a deal but we are still far away, we decided to send a delegation and from there we’ll continue, and God will help.”

According to Deri, “everyone was of the same mind – the defense establishment and the ministers. All in all, they want to bring a good deal which will achieve a number of goals and which will pass muster with the Israeli public, it’s not a simple deal. And therefore we try to do what we can.”

“Meantime we have no feedback from Hamas. Everything we are doing is with the mediators but they have to bring the receipts and bring the rest. Therefore we unfortunately have a far from simple path. It’s far but can change in a few days, and Qatar if it really wants and also the Egyptians can bring in Hamas. I believe that a deal which the war cabinet approves will also pass the government. I promised the families in both the first deal and also now – we will do everything to advance a deal.”

Regarding the emergency unity government, Deri said “there is no doubt that this is not something strong, durable. We need to maintain it all the time and there is no doubt, unfortunately, that this is not something for the long haul if we don’t know to maintain it or it could be we can’t maintain it, but as much as we can maintain it, we must maintain it.”