Israelis awoke Thursday morning to the news that late the previous evening, a final deal was announced to form a coalition government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Reuven Rivlin of the deal, as required by law, that he had signed an agreement with the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party, giving his coalition 61 seats, the bare minimum needed, to form a government. “We will build a government that is strong and stable for the people of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We have work to do.” However, many Likud MKs are quietly complaining that in order to secure the participation of smaller parties in the coalition Netanyahu was forced to give most of the most prestigious posts to his junior partners, leaving little for the Likud, despite its being the largest party in the Knesset. Read More
