Israel

Barak stays at Defence as Labour joins Netanyahu coalition

Article published on the 2009-03-25 Latest update 2009-03-25 09:28 TU

Israel's Defence Minister and Labour party leader Ehud Barak
(Photo: Reuters)

The Labour Party of Ehud Barack on Tuesday voted by 680 votes to 507 to join the coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu. The party's assent comes after leader and Defence Minister Barak agreed a deal with Netanyahu, leader of the Likud party.

Barak told the party that it would not be Netanyahu's "figleaf", saying Labour would be a counterweight in the coalition that will now include four parties.

Likud's 27 seats in the Israeli parliament will be joined by the 15 from the nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, 11 from the orthodox Shas party and now the 13 from Labour.

This will give the coalition a governing majority of 66 of the parliament's 120 seats.

A draft agreement between Netanyahu and Barak sets out that Labour will get five ministries in the new government, leaving Barak with the Defense portfolio. It also means that the government will commit to reaching "a comprehensive peace agreement" and also respect previous agreements with the Palestinians.

It does not commit the government to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Seven Labour MPs who had said they would ignore the party's instructions if Labour joined the government said after Tuesday's vote that they would "respect the decision".

US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that a two-state solution remained the solution in the Middle East. 

Faced with a government including Netanyahu and far-right Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, Obama said the task of establishing peace is "not easier than it was" but "just as necessary".