After coalition talks that dragged out until the last minute, an agreement was signed last night between the Likud and Habayit Hayehudi, allowing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form his fourth government. He will have the slimmest of majorities with 61 MKs in the 120-seat Knesset together with Shas, United Torah Judaism, Kulanu, and Habayit Hayehudi.
Under the terms of the agreement signed between the Likud and Habayit Hayehudi, Naftali Bennett will be appointed minister of education, Ayelet Shaked will be minister of justice and Uri Ariel will be minister of agriculture.
At a press conference last night, Netanyahu said, "I want to thank you for all you efforts in these negotiations throughout recent weeks. I'm sure that nobody was surprised that the talks continued with these parties and nobody is surprised that they were completed on time. Time is pressing not only because from here I will call the president and the Knesset speaker to announce that I have formed a government but also because I need to set it up next week and that's what we will do so that this will be a strong and stable government for the people of Israel."
He added, "I said that 61 is a good number and 61 plus is an even better number but we will begin with 61 and we have a lot of work ahead. Let us hope all of us and the people of Israel will succeed."
Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, who will be the leader of the opposition has already branded the government which will be sworn in next week as a "national failure." He wrote on his Facebook page. "Irresponsible, ungovernable and unstable a government of national failure has been set up here today. Once again the mask of leadership has been removed from the prime minister's face and we have discovered smugness and complacency with the embarrassing farce of the establishment of the weakest, narrowest government and the most open to extortion in Israel's history. The prize of the justice ministry for Habayit Hayehudi that harmed and threatened the rule of law in the previous Knesset, is a clear example of Netanyahu's contempt for the good of Israel's citizens and that the rule of law and Israeli democracy are less important to him than his political needs. Instead of using the mandate he received to lead and set up a government that would benefit the public, Netanyahu has proven once again that survival is more important than improving the welfare and quality of life of all Israelis who wish for change and hope."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 7, 2015
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