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The Likud Party, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, last night announced that an offer has been made to Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid to join a coalition government.

Following last month’s election, Yesh Atid is the second largest party in the Knesset. Although Lapid and Netanyahu met soon after the poll, relations between the two appear to have cooled since then. Lapid subsequently formed an alliance with Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett, whereby neither will join the coalition without the other. Their demands on issues such as the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox religious seminary students mean that Netanyahu may well need to choose between Yesh Atid and Jewish Home or the ultra-Orthodox parties, rather than include all of them in his government. Netanyahu has until the end of the week to finalise a coalition, or else will be required to request a two-week extension from President Peres.

A Likud Party statement last night announced “Netanyahu calls for the formation of a government with a majority from the nationalist camp and invites Yesh Atid to join as well.” The details of the proposal to Yesh Atid are unclear, but reference to the “nationalist camp” indicates that Netanyahu intends to include Jewish Home in his coalition as well. Bennett yesterday defended his alliance with Yesh Atid, saying “Without coordinating with Lapid, there would have been a government… without Jewish Home.” However, a Likud statement fired back, “Jewish Home was the first party that received an offer to join Netanyahu’s government.”

Despite the spat, according to Maariv, Jewish Home and Likud Beitenu representatives are close to an agreement on drafting ultra-Orthodox students, with Jewish Home negotiating on the issue on behalf of Yesh Atid, the two having reached agreement on the issue between them.