Israel Parties Fail to Solve Ruling Coalition Crisis

According to Israeli website Ynet News, an agreement was reached during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Torah Judaism Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman which would bring an end to the crisis. However, the site added that Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman is expected not to accept the deal because his Ministry was not consulted, Middle East Monitor reported.

“The bill currently being drafted is not a compromise, but rather a surrender to extortion. Anyone who wants to get into extortion should surrender,” the news site quoted Lieberman saying.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Justice Minister Aylet Shaked accused Lieberman and the ultra-orthodox parties of working to collapse the current “right-wing government.”

“There are solutions,” she was reported, adding that “This crisis has three alternatives, not one – solutions both Lieberman and the Haredim can agree to. The question is whether they want to resolve the crisis or push the government to unnecessary elections and take down a right-wing government.”

Critics said that Netanyahu may call for early elections in an effort to remove the spotlight from corruption charges he is likely to face and for which he was questioned under caution earlier this month.