Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a political deal forming a central authority of national unity with the leading opposition party and canceling plans to carry early elections.
Mr. Netanyahu told reporters he decided to form the unity government with the centrist Kadima party early Tuesday to revive political stability without going to elections.
He said a large national unity government with Israel's largest opposition party is nice for security, the economy, for society and for the folk of Israel.
The new coalition has 94 members, or greater than three-fourths of the parliament, and is the biggest coalition inside the country's history.
Under the deal, Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz - a former army chief and defense minister-- becomes vice-prime minister and joins Mr. Netanyahu's powerful inner cabinet. Â
Mofaz, who were highly critical of the prime minister, says any such government is required to stand Israel's many challenges.
He said the unity government will enable Israel to confront security challenges and threats from any region. He said this will likely be done in a considered and responsible way, but will keep Israel's right to defend itself any time and anywhere, from within and from outside.
Israel has threatened military action to prevent what it believes is Iran's effort to make nuclear weapons. Iran denies it's building a nuclear bomb and says it may retaliate, raising fears of a region-wide conflict.
The surprise announcement of the political deal in Israel came two days after Mr. Netanyahu called for early elections due to a widening split in his rightist coalition.
The coalition, headed by the prime minister's Likud party, was increasingly divided over a controversial law that exempts Ultra-Orthodox Jews from national service, and over the proposed dismantling of a few illegal Jewish housing units within the West Bank.
The Netanyahu government also is facing a bruising battle over proposed cuts in next year's budget.
And it really is facing international pressure to restore the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.
Mr. Netanyahu has called on Palestinian leaders to come back to negotiations without pre-conditions. The Palestinians say Israel first must stop new construction within the occupied West Bank and release all political prisoners.
Mofaz said he thinks he could help re-start the talks. "i've some ideas about how we are able to move forward if you want to achieve understanding with the Palestinians," he said. "But my idea [is] in keeping with borders and security arrangements first. And that i will speak with the prime minister."
Israeli political analyst Amit Segal said Mr. Netanyahu didn't actually need early elections but in addition didn't like being depending on right-wing parties which can be often the ability brokers in Israeli politics.
"Netanyahu got the precise bargain ever within the history of Israeli politics," said Segal. "He got the biggest party within the Knesset for the cost of one deputy-prime minister [post] and that is all, almost free of charge."
Recent public opinion polls indicated Kadima would lose greater than 1/2 its seats in parliament if the elections were held today.
The polls indicated Likud would win any new elections but Mr. Netanyahu faced bruising battles with right-wing members of his coalition.
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From WhatNewsToday.net
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