Israel's prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu met for several hours with Bezalel Smotrich's far-right Religious Zionist Party on Sunday, with Netanyahu's Likud reporting "progress in all matters."
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Efforts between the two parties to strike a coalition deal will continue on Monday, according to the Likud's statement.
Netanyahu spent the day meeting with the heads of the likely coalition parties, forming deals to create the country's next government. Before meeting with Smotrich, Netanyahu confirmed an agreement with the one-man Noam faction, which will see far-right lawmaker Avi Maoz becoming a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
On Friday, Netanyahu reached a preliminary agreement with the far-right Otzma Yehudit , led by MK Itamar Ben-Gvir. As part of the agreement, Ben-Gvir will assume the role of national security minister – an expanded version of the existing public security portfolio.
Netanyahu received the presidential nod to form a government two weeks ago, yet political disagreements between the parties have delayed the likely incoming right-wing government from being sworn in. Netanyahu has just over week to present his government for a Knesset confidence vote, but the president may extend that deadline.
The recent agreements bring Israel one step closer to preventing another round of elections, after Israelis went to their fifth elections in four years on November 1.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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