Israeli opposition parties are on the verge of reaching an agreement to pull the curtain on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel's moderate Yes Atid party, is set to reach a compromise agreement with ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett to form a coalition government, according to a BBC report.
Bennett's party, whose six seats are crucial to forming a coalition government in Israel, said on Sunday it was in favor of the deal. Lapid's Yes Atid party came in second in the Israeli national election in March behind Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party. Lapid was given 28 days to form a government. But that effort was thwarted by Israel's 11-day offensive on Palestinians in Gaza. The attack prompted the Arab Islamist Ram Party, which had been in the running to join Lapid's coalition, to pull out of the talks.
Lapid (57) now has just two days to secure the necessary seats to form a coalition government. He is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with the ultra-nationalist Bennett. Under the potential deal, Bennett (49) will become Israel's prime minister with just six seats in the 120-seat Israeli parliament. According to Israeli media reports, the deal agreed upon by both sides will see Bennett serve as Israel's prime minister for the next two years. Lapid will then serve as prime minister for the remaining two years of the term.
The BBC says that although the political ideologies of Netanyahu's opponents, who have been in power for a decade, are very similar, they all agree on one thing. Each wants an end to Netanyahu's rule. On Saturday night, Netanyahu's Likud party proposed to Bennett and other party leaders to share power. They proposed to share the prime ministership in three phases. But that proposal was not accepted.
Netanyahu, 71, is on trial for corruption. Bennett met with party leaders on Sunday to seek their support in an opposition coalition to oust him from power.
