Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made an agreement with the Jewish Home party, headed by Naftali Bennett, allowing him to reach a 61-seat governing coalition shortly before the midnight deadline.

The Times of Israel reported more:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to tell President Reuven Rivlin late Wednesday night that he has managed to cobble together a 61-strong coalition — the minimal number required for a Knesset majority.

Netanyahu was understood to have capitulated to the demands of the final recalcitrant coalition partner, the Orthodox-nationalist Jewish Home, and agreed to appoint party leader Naftali Bennett as education minister, MK Ayelet Shaked as justice minister, and another Jewish Home member, Uri Ariel, to a third ministry, possibly agriculture.

The Times also reported that Netanyahu himself will serve as foreign minister, but is understood to be leaving the post open for Isaac Herzog, the leader of the main opposition party, the Zionist Union, should Herzog want to join the coalition. Netanyahu will be appointing several Likud members to the security cabinet as consolation for not giving them ministries.

The Times listed the breakdown of the coalition.

Netanyahu’s Likud won 30 seats in the election six weeks ago, and he has already signed up United Torah Judaism (six seats), Kulana (10) and Shas (seven) for a total of 53. Jewish Home’s eight seats would give him the narrowest of majorities: 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

The narrowness of the governing coalition raises questions over its stability.

Had Netanyahu not managed to form a coalition before the deadline, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin would have had three choices: Offer another member of Knesset, most likely Herzog, a chance to form a coalition; ask Netanyahu and Herzog to form a national unity government; or to call for new elections.

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