Baku – APA. Israel's far-right Yisrael Beitenu party has reached a deal with Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party on terms for joining the coalition government ruling the country, Al Jazeera reported.
The deal was reached after a late night meeting on Tuesday, paving the way for Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beitenu party leader, to become Israel's next defence minister, Lieberman's spokesman said on Wednesday.
Yisrael Beitenu and Likud would sign the deal later in the day, spokesman Tzachi Moshe said.
Over three decades, Lieberman has at times been Netanyahu's closest ally and other times a fierce rival.
The party of Lieberman, a former foreign minister, has hard-right policies on a variety of topics, most particularly his opposition to peace talks with Palestinians and support for settlers in occupied territories.
Lieberman exited a political alliance with Netanyahu in 2014, arguing that the prime minister's response to attacks out of the Gaza Strip were not muscular enough.
According to the deal, the government agreed to allocate approximately 1.4bn shekels ($363mn) to pensions of elderly Israelis, including immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Lieberman's largest support base.
Netanyahu has sought to ease fears over Lieberman's expected appointment, saying he will continue to seek peace with Palestinians and oversee the defence ministry's policies, which include control over the occupied West Bank.
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