Netanyahu dodges election bullet with surprise coalition

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied expectations yesterday morning by announcing a new governing coalition with the centrist Kadima party, meaning that a planned early election will not now take place.

Reuters/Ammar Awad

The declaration, which makes head of Kadima Shaul Mofaz the new Deputy Prime Minister, came just two days after the announcement of a September election.

The term will now be extended to October 2013.

The Likud-Kadima coalition now holds a strong majority, with 94 out of 120 seats in the Knesset.

The new government is expected to focus on reforming the controversial Tal Law, which exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, redrawing the budget and debating the legalisation of West Bank settlements.

The new coalition also extends the political life of Ehud Barak, which is seen as a step towards a potential unilateral attack on Iran.

The extension of the political term angered the centre-left Labour Party and looks set to reignite social justice protests, which raged throughout summer 2011.