The right-wing Likud party, headed by Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, concluded an agreement with the religious right-wing United Torah Judaism party to join the upcoming government.
This came late on Tuesday evening, according to the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority.
The authority said that under the agreement, “United Torah Judaism” would obtain the ministries of construction and housing, including the Israel Lands Authority and the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage.
She added that the party will get the chairmanship of the Israeli parliamentary interior and environmental protection committees.
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According to the same source, the party will also have the positions of deputy minister in the prime minister’s office, deputy minister of transportation, and deputy minister of labor and social affairs.
The agreement is the third after two previous agreements made by the Likud with the two extreme right-wing parties, “Jewish Power” headed by Itamar Ben Gvir, and “Religious Zionism” headed by Bezalel Smotrich.
And Netanyahu still has to agree with the religious right-wing “Shas” party, and reach an agreement with members of his “Likud” party on the distribution of ministerial portfolios.
For the first time, the Israeli government is formed from right-wing parties, after the left-wing parties failed to secure seats in the Knesset in the elections that took place in early November.
According to Israeli law, the 28-day deadline given to Netanyahu to form a government ends next Monday, but he can extend it by 14 days with the approval of President Isaac Herzog.
It is expected that Netanyahu will ask Herzog to extend the deadline for forming the government, taking into account the progress he has made in the formation efforts.
