Israel's Netanyahu forges surprise deal with Kadima

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a surprise deal with the opposition Kadima party early Tuesday, drawing them into his government and jettisoning plans for an early election. Kadima agreed to a deal in which Shaul Mofaz, who only took over as his party's leader six weeks ago, would become deputy prime minister and a minister without portfolio in the new cabinet, public radio reported. The two leaders negotiated the deal even as the Knesset, Israel's parliament, was voting through a motion to end its current session to clear the way for the early election Netanyahu himself had said he wanted. Zehava Galon, leader of the left-wing Meretz party, denounced the deal as a cynical political manouevre. Details of the agreement were still to be finalised, said the report. But they included an understanding that Kadima would back Netanyahu in return for changes to a contentious law that allows ultra-Orthodox Jews to defer their military service. Members of Kadima would also take up key positions including on the Knesset's foreign affairs, defence and economic affairs committees. The deal also involves a commitment to restart the peace process with the Palestinians and an agreement on the next state budget. The deal for a new unity government will be put to the Knesset on Tuesday, but it means that Netanyahu will be able to count on 94 votes in the 120-seat parliamentary assembly. Mofaz could be sworn in as early as Thursday, Israeli public radio reported. The deal is a political coup not just for Netanyahu but also for Kadima's new leader Mofaz. A hawkish former general and at one time army chief of staff, he is a hardliner with a tough stance on Iran, the focus of current international tension over its nuclear programme. He won control of Kadima by playing up his security credentials, defeating previous party leader Tzipi Livni in a vote on March 28. He took over a party in crisis. Although Kadima won the most parliamentary seats in the 2009 elections it had nevertheless failed to form a government. Opinion polls suggested it would do badly if there were early general elections, losing up at least half its seats. Former Kadima leader Livni, an outspoken critic of Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition government, had pushed to revive the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians. Even Mofaz had ruled out taking his party into a coalition with Netanyahu, in an interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper, denouncing the prime minister's handling of the Iranian nuclear crisis. On Sunday, Netanyahu had called for early elections, saying he wanted to avoid a year and a half of political instability. Even on Monday morning, he told his weekly cabinet meeting that he wanted an election on September 4. Netanyahu had nevertheless hinted on Sunday that he wanted to seek a broader-based government to assure the country's future. This new deal effectively cancels Monday's moves by the Knesset, Israel's parliament, to clear the way for the election Netanyahu had said he wanted. The current parliament's mandate runs until October 2013.