BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue efforts to construct a coalition by meeting Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, at the start of next week.

Bennett’s party secured twelve seats in last month’s election, and Jewish Home is widely viewed as a natural ideological partner for Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitenu faction. However, the two parties clashed bitterly at times during the election campaign. Moreover, Netanyahu and Bennett have reportedly not met since the latter left his job as Netanyahu’s chief of staff in 2008, in what many believe was an acrimonious split. Netanyahu spoke briefly to Bennett immediately after the election by telephone, but Bennett is the only party leader not to have personally met with Netanyahu since the 22 January poll. A Likud statement yesterday said that Netanyahu will meet with Bennett next week and will also hold individual meetings with leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Netanyahu yesterday met for two and a half hours with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid in Jerusalem. According to the Jerusalem Post, both sides reported that the talks were very good and that progress had been made towards building a coalition government. Apparently, the two leaders discussed expanding the military draft, Iran’s nuclear programme and US President Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel.

Meanwhile, head of the Jewish Home coalition negotiating team, Uri Ariel MK told Israel Army Radio that Yesh Atid has made concessions on its plans to draft ultra-Orthodox religious seminary students. At the same time, Haaretz reports that Eli Yishai, co-leader of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas spoke yesterday with Naftali Bennett to discuss for the first time how their parties might cooperate.