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Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appears likely to request an extension this weekend from President Shimon Peres in his attempts to form a government, having so far secured only the inclusion of Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah Party in his coalition.

Netanyahu was given 28 days to form a government by Peres on 2 February, but Israel Hayom and Makor Rishon claim that Netanyahu is almost certain to request a fourteen-day extension as permitted. Channel Two even suggests that Netanyahu could legally be allowed to work on finalising his coalition right up until the swearing-in of the new government on 24 March. However, such a timetable would clash with US President Obama’s visit on 20 March.

In the meantime, talks continued yesterday between Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitenu faction and Jewish Home. Although Haaretz reports that progress was made on the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox students, the terms of Hatnuah’s coalition agreement reached two weeks ago also appears to be a bone of contention. Jewish Home MK Uri Ariel, who is leading the party’s coalition negotiations, described the coalition deal with Tzipi Livni’s party as “a traffic accident.” Yesh Atid, which is coordinating coalition strategy with Jewish Home, will conduct talks with Likud-Beitenu today and is also set to object to the Hatnuah coalition deal on the basis that it promised two ministerial portfolios to a party with just six Knesset seats. Such a ministerial ratio violates Yesh Atid’s demand to limit the government to just eighteen ministers.

Meanwhile, Shas leaders indicated resignation to being left out of the next government. Co-leader Eli Yishai said this morning, “Sitting in the coalition and holding onto jobs is not a goal,” while his colleague Aryeh Deri said that if necessary Shas “will be a fighting opposition.”