Israel's Netanyahu Moves Closer to Coalition Deal

Israel's longest-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a special Knesset session that voted him out of power - AFP
Israel's longest-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a special Knesset session that voted him out of power - AFP
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Israel's Netanyahu Moves Closer to Coalition Deal

Israel's longest-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a special Knesset session that voted him out of power - AFP
Israel's longest-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a special Knesset session that voted him out of power - AFP

Israel's prime-minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu struck a deal with an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party Thursday on allocating cabinet jobs in a key step towards forming a government ahead of a looming deadline.

The deal announced overnight promises the Shas party five ministerial jobs in Netanyahu's incoming government, which is expected to be the most right-wing in Israel's history, AFP said.

"We have achieved another step towards forming a government," said Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving premier, whose victory in a November 1 election set him up to retake power after just 14 months in opposition.

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party has already signed coalition deals with three controversial extreme right parties -- Religious Zionism, Jewish Power and the virulently anti-LGBT Noam.

Likud's agreements with Shas and another ultra-Orthodox bloc, United Torah Judaism, are provisional, not binding coalition deals. Additional pacts will be required before a government is announced, the parties have said.

One complication is that Shas leader Aryeh Deri has been convicted of tax offenses, which, according to Israel's attorney general, bars him from serving in cabinet.

Israel's parliament, where Netanyahu and his allies now control a majority, may seek to pass legislation allowing Deri to serve in cabinet before firming up a coalition deal.

Under the Shas-Likud deal, Deri will be both interior minister and health minister in Netanyahu's next government, in addition to being named deputy prime minister.

If confirmed, Deri would become Israel's first ultra-Orthodox Jewish deputy premier.

Last month's election put Netanyahu and his allies in a position to form a stable, right-wing government, ending an unprecedented period of political deadlock that forced five elections in less than four years.

Some Israeli political analysts had forecast that Netanyahu would move to announce a coalition days after receiving his mandate from President Isaac Herzog on November 13.

But the coalition talks have proved complex, with Netanyahu forced to give sensitive portfolios to controversial figures, including Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been promised the national security ministry with responsibility for the border police in the occupied West Bank despite his fiercely anti-Arab rhetoric.

Netanyahu's 28-day mandate from Herzog expires at midnight (2200 GMT) Sunday.

He is widely expected to seek a two-week extension, as several issues remain unresolved, including the allocation of portfolios within his own Likud party, according to Israeli media reports.



New Zealand Prime Minister Says Israel’s Netanyahu Has ‘Lost the Plot’ 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)
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New Zealand Prime Minister Says Israel’s Netanyahu Has ‘Lost the Plot’ 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold a joint press conference in Queenstown, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug.9, 2025. (Stuff via AP)

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday that Israel’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu had "lost the plot" as the country weighs up whether to recognize a Palestinian state.

Luxon told reporters that the lack of humanitarian assistance, the forceful displacement of people and the annexation of Gaza were utterly appalling and that Netanyahu had gone way too far.

"I think he has lost the plot," added Luxon, who heads the center-right coalition government. "What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable."

Luxon said earlier this week New Zealand was considering whether to recognize a Palestinian state. Close ally Australia on Monday joined Canada, the UK and France in announcing it would do so at a UN conference in September.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached "unimaginable levels", Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said on Tuesday, calling on Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

Israel has denied responsibility for hunger spreading in Gaza, accusing Hamas fighters of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies.

Ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary session, a small number of protesters gathered outside the country’s parliament buildings, beating pots and pans. Local media organization Stuff reported protesters chanted "MPs grow a spine, recognize Palestine."

On Tuesday, Greens parliamentarian Chloe Swarbrick was removed from parliament's debating chamber after she refused to apologize for a comment insinuating government politicians were spineless for not supporting a bill to "sanction Israel for its war crimes."

Swarbrick was ordered to leave the debating chamber for a second day on Wednesday after she again refused to apologize. When she refused to leave, the government voted to suspend her.

"Sixty-eight members of this House were accused of being spineless," House speaker Gerry Brownlee said. "There has never been a time where personal insults like that delivered inside a speech were accepted by this House and I'm not going to start accepting it."

As Swarbrick left, she called out "free Palestine."