Netanyahu 'on verge of forming new government'

Netanyahu 'on verge of forming new government'
Sources suggest Israel's prime minister is set to form a new coalition with religious parties, postponing elections predicted to take place in spring.
2 min read
04 December, 2014
Parliamentary elections predicted for March may be postponed [AFP]
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has achieved significant progress in negotiations with Haredim parties to form a new government, according to a Knesset source. Such a move could end calls for an early election next year.

The new coalition, reportedly scheduled to be presented to the Knesset next week, will probably mean the election will be postponed. The news comes despite 84 members of the Knesset approving a law on 3 December to dissolve the legislature, and hold new elections. Members of the ruling
     The new coalition.. will probably mean the election will be postponed.
right wing, including Netanyahu's Likud party, also supported the dissolution.

The formation of a new government would outmanoeuvre Yair Lapid, the former minister of finance and founder of the secular Yesh Atid party, who was believed to be attempting to gain support from Haredim parties.

Haredim parties revealed two weeks ago that the Labour party and close associates of Lapid had asked them to help bring down Netanyahu's government and form a new one in its place.

However, should the information obtained by al-Araby al-Jadeed prove correct, it means Netanyahu has successfully thwarted this attempt. Haredim parties have had an historical alliance with the right wing, and any moderate coalition with Lapid could eventually work against the interests of the Haredim parties' orthodox base, say analysts. Moderate Israeli parties insist on compulsory military service for orthodox students, something the Haredim opposes, for example.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.