Israeli parties reach agreement on make-up of new government

After six weeks of coalition negotiations the main Israeli parties have finally reached agreement on the make-up of the new government, which will be led by incumbent Binyamin Netanyahu.

Mr Netanyahu’s Likud Beiteinu list will maintain a majority of ministers and the foreign ministry portfolio is being held in reserve for number two on the list, former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, pending the outcome of a corruption trial.

The two major coalition partners will be the secular centrist Yesh Atid party led by charismatic former TV anchorman Yair Lapid and the right-wing Jewish Home, a religious party backed by Jewish settlers.

Also joining the coalition is a new centrist party, the Movement, led by former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who has been given responsibility for conducting peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

The government will have a majority of 68 members in the 120-seat Knesset parliament.

Likud’s former army chief Moshe Ya’alon is set to succeed Ehud Barak as minister of defence.

In a rare development, the ultra-Orthodox parties will be absent from the government, paving the way for legislation to draft religious men either into the army or into community service.

Breakthrough
The breakthrough in the coalition talks came last night when Mr Netanyahu conceded to the demand by Yesh Atid to receive the much-coveted education ministry.

Yesh Atid leader Mr Lapid, a political novice, will serve as finance minister.

The party also forced Mr Netanyahu during the negotiations to scale back the number of ministers.

The outgoing government is to hold a final meeting on Sunday, and the new government will be sworn in Monday – 48 hours before the scheduled arrival of Barack Obama on his first presidential visit to Israel.

Although the coalition guidelines commit the government to seeking peace with the Palestinians there is little optimism on either side that a breakthrough can be achieved.

Jewish Home opposes a Palestinian state and territorial concessions in the West Bank, as do a majority of Knesset members in Mr Netanyahu’s own list. A more pressing issue for the new government will be how to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb.

Mr Netanyahu says all options remain on the table as far as Israel is concerned, and that time is running out for diplomacy as it appears the stepped-up international sanctions have failed to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.