JERUSALEM
Sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said that the he will be meeting with coalition partners over the coming days in an attempt to save the current Israeli government from "collapsing."
Netanyahu met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu on Sunday to "make one last attempt to see whether arrangements could be achieved that would allow the continuation of the government," said Israeli news website Ynet.
The PM is expected to meet on Monday with Naftali Bennett, the economy minister of the right-wing Jewish Home party, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni of the centrist Hatnuah party as well as Yair Lapid, the Israeli minister of finance and chairman of the Yesh Atid Party, the sources said.
The Israeli government is made up of 22 ministers: two from Hatnuah, five from Yesh Atid, 12 from Netanyahu's Likud party and three from Yisrael Beiteinu.
Netanyahu is attempting to overcome the current obstacles faced by the Israeli government, most notably the passage of the Jewish State law which is opposed by Lapid and Livni, Israeli news website Maariv reported.
Other points of disagreement include items with the state budget as well as Lapid's refusal to impose taxes on apartments for young couples.
Israeli law allows the PM to dismiss members of his cabinet if they cause the government to grind to a halt.
Netanyahu is said to be working on including the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party and the Yahadut Hatorah alliance to his government if Lapid decides to withdraw from the coalition.
The PM had also extended an offer to the opposition Labor Party to join his government, but the party refused, local media said.
www.aa.com.tr/en
