Israel (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The New Coalition Government
Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 5:53 | Scott Lucas in EA Live, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 0555 GMT: Israel. After seven weeks of negotiations following the 22 January election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally confirmed a new Government on Friday.
Netanyahu's Likud-Beitenu bloc, which led the January poll but suffered a drop in its vote from the last ballot, reached agreement with the Yesh Atid Party --- the surprise emerging force in the election --- and the new Jewish Home Party, led by American-born high-tech entrepreneur Naftali Bennett.
The small centrist party of former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will also be in the coalition. For the first time in a decade, ultra-orthodox parties are excluded.
Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid was named Minister of Finance, while Bennett will be Minister of Trade. Likud-Beitenu retains control of the Ministries of Defense and Interior.