Roundup: Israel's Netanyahu says to go on expanding new coalition

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he would resume his efforts to enlarge the newly-formed coalition government.

His statement came prior to a Knesset (parliament) vote on a law that would enable him to increase the number of his upcoming government's members.

The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, won 30 (out of 120) seats in the Israeli parliament. Other parties in his coalition garnered between six and ten seats in the parliament.

Netanyahu speaking to reporters at the start of a Likud party meeting in the Knesset held Monday afternoon, explained that increasing the size of his coalition would boost the government stability.

"I will continue to try and expand the government because we need the widest possible support amid the challenges we are facing," Netanyahu said Monday. His statement implies the possibility of establishing a unity government with the Zionist Union later on.

As for his current coalition, formed Wednesday at the last minute before the deadline was about to expire, Netanyahu admitted that forming the 61-member coalition following 42 days of negotiations was "not simple."

He added that his government would operate on behalf of all Israelis and focus on security issues and the rising cost of living.

Netanyahu's bid to have more cabinet posts is to please his Likud party members. He has already surrendered many important portfolios to other parties of the coalition, namely the ultra-orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism, the center Kulanu party and the nationalist right-wing Jewish Home party.

In 2013, during a coalition agreement between Netanyahu and then coalition member, center-left Yesh Atid party, a basic law was set to curb the number of cabinet members to 18.

Netanyahu supported the decision back in 2013 when they decided to limit the number of ministers to 18.

During the faction meeting, Netanyahu assured his party members that the task of dividing the portfolios among them will be difficult, but said the party will have increased roles in the government than in the previous one and those roles will be central in matters of defense, foreign affairs and the economy.

The Knesset Plenum is to vote on the proposal to change the law and reverse the limitation in a first voting round late Tuesday, after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by the Yesh Atid party against the vote earlier on Monday.

The second and third votings are expected on Wednesday, with an expected approval of the bill supported by 61 members of the future coalition.

Other parties also held faction meetings on Monday afternoon, criticizing Netanyahu's political move.

Leader of the opposition Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union), whose party received 24 seats in the March 17 elections, said elections should be repeated as it took Netanyahu 42 days to establish his coalition, who has pledged to give billions of shekels to his coalition partners for their support, which Herzog said was "against public interest."

"Netanyahu failed in forming a government," Herzog said. "We need fresh elections."

Herzog also said he is working on establishing an alternative government headed by himself, and ruled out the possibility to join Netanyahu's coalition.

"I don't plan on helping him, I plan on replacing him," Herzog said regarding Netanyahu.

Former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, who announced his refusal to join Netanyahu's government with his six-seat party Israel Beytenu, slammed Netanyahu for not addressing the distress of former Russian immigrants who are Israeli citizens.

Lieberman, whose lack of support prevented a comfortable 67-member coalition Netanyahu hoped for, said he received extensive support from Likud party members, adding there's "great rage" against Netanyahu from his party, apparently over cushy coalition agreements signed with coalition parties last week. Enditem