Netanyahu to Submit Israel Govt. List Thursday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to submit his new government list to parliament on Thursday for a vote of confidence, a parliamentary spokesman said.

The spokesman said Netanyahu, at a session opening at 7 pm (1600 GMT), would deliver his government program and the presentation would be followed by a vote and the swearing in of ministers.

The prime minister's fledgling coalition passed its first test in a deeply divided parliament on Wednesday with the approval of a bill effectively enlarging the cabinet.

The amendment was a crucial for the formation of a new government, with Netanyahu seeking to please as many lawmakers as possible in order to win the confidence vote.

Highlighting the coalition's razor-thin majority in the 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, the bill was approved by 61 votes to 59.

Netanyahu was now expected to work through Wednesday night allocating portfolios and chairmanships of parliamentary committees to Likud MPs.

Cabinet posts for the four partner parties joining the government led by his rightwing Likud party have already been designated in the respective coalition agreements with them.

Netanyahu's alliance was built over weeks of intensive negotiations following a March general election, at the cost of major concessions to coalition partners and resentment within Likud.

The amendment passed Wednesday aimed to let him give more portfolios to senior members of Likud.

If he loses the vote of confidence, the task of forming a government will pass to another party leader judged to have a chance of welding together support.

In the March 17 election Likud won 30 seats.

His partners are the center-right Kulanu (10 seats), the far-right Jewish Home (eight) and the two ultra-Orthodox parties Shas (seven) and United Torah Judaism (six).