Slaughterer Israeli Butcher Netanyahu patches up new cabinet

Butcher Benjamin Netanyahu says he has managed to patch up a new coalition of Israeli regime and ensure himself a third term as prime minister.

At a meeting in al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Saturday, Netanyahu formally informed President Shimon Peres that he was able to form a coalition after 40 days of negotiations with potential partners.

Netanyahu had to meet a deadline of Saturday evening to announce the new line-up or admit defeat. He had already been given an extra two weeks by Peres to overcome a political deadlock after he failed to persuade divided coalition partners within the initial 28-day period.

He finally made it after agreements were signed Friday with the centrist Yesh Atid and far-right Jewish Home parties that earned Netanyahu a coalition with a majority in the 120-seat Israeli parliament, Knesset.

In February, the hawkish premier signed a coalition deal with the centrist HaTnuah party of former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who is to take office as justice minister.

The new coalition, which will command a total of 68 seats in parliament, is expected to be sworn in on March 18 and will be the first in three decades to exclude ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties.

Copies of the coalition agreements published by Netanyahu’s Likud party said Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid would be finance minister. Lapid’s party, with 19 seats in parliament, would also take the education, social services, health, and science and technology portfolios.

Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett is to become a member of the powerful security cabinet, while his party, which has 12 seats, receives a newly named economy and trade portfolio along with housing and pensioners’ affairs.

The agreements also leave the door open for other parties to join the coalition in the future.

The allocation of ministries within the alliance of Netanyahu’s Likud party and former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s far-right Yisrael Beiteinu is yet to be announced.