THE ISRAEL PROJECT
May 7, 2015

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made an agreement with the Jewish Home party, headed by Naftali Bennett, allowing him to reach a 61-seat governing coalition shortly before the midnight deadline. The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu himself will serve as foreign minister, but is understood to be leaving the post open for Isaac Herzog, the leader of the main opposition party, the Zionist Union, should Herzog want to join the coalition. Netanyahu will be appointing several Likud members to the security cabinet as consolation for not giving them ministries. The narrowness of the governing coalition raises questions over its stability. Had Netanyahu not managed to form a coalition before the deadline, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin would have had three choices: Offer another member of Knesset, most likely Herzog, a chance to form a coalition; ask Netanyahu and Herzog to form a national unity government; or to call for new elections. POSTING