Israel to vote on enlarged cabinet before new govt

Israel’s parliament is to vote next week on enlarging the cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party said on Friday, reportedly to satisfy senior party members demanding portfolios.

After six weeks of intensive post-election negotiations, Netanyahu yesterday signed a deal with the far-right Jewish Home party, completing his new coalition government.

Media said he had hoped to submit it to parliament for a vote of confidence on Monday, although legally he has until Wednesday to do so.

His slim majority of 61 of the 120 seats in parliament, called the Knesset, was built at the cost of major concessions to his coalition partners, sparking frustration within his own party.

A Likud statement said the Knesset would be asked to vote on Monday to increase the number of cabinet ministers to 20 from its present legal maximum of 18.