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Netanyahu receives key PM support

Netanyahu is in theory supported by a majority of the Israeli parliament Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel's right-of-centre Likud party, has won the backing of a leading far-right party for his bid to become PM. Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, made substantial gains in the recent general election. Mr Lieberman said he wanted to see a "wide" coalition government taking in the three largest parties. This makes it very likely that Mr Netanyahu will be asked by President Shimon Peres to form a government. Likud can in theory now count on the support of 65 of the Israeli parliament's 120 members. Mr Peres began meeting the parties on Wednesday as part of consultations on who to invite to attempt to form the next Israeli government. ELECTION RESULTS Kadima: 28 seats Likud: 27 seats Yisrael Beiteinu: 15 Labour: 13 Shas: 11 United Torah Judaism: 5 See results in full Horse-trading begins Highs and lows of election drama In pictures: Outcome of vote Tzipi Livni of the centrist Kadima party won 28 parliamentary seats to 27 seats for Mr Netanyahu's Likud party. But nationalist and religious parties, natural allies of Likud, also did well in the election. Mr Netanyahu will have six weeks to sow up a coalition, once the invitation to do so comes from the president. 'Wide' government Israel Army radio reported Mr Lieberman telling Mr Peres that he supported the Likud leader as prime minister but "only as part of a wider government". "We are not talking of a government with a restricted majority. To govern the country, we need a government with the three largest parties - Likud, Kadima and Yisrael Beiteinu. "Netanyahu will be prime minister, but it will be a Bibi-Livni government," said Lieberman. Kadima had proposed a power-sharing deal with Likud similar to the one in 1984 which saw the leaders of Likud and Labour each hold the post of prime minister for two years. Mr Lieberman and Mr Netanyahu now appear to have rejected this. In the Israeli political system, the task of trying to form a government after an election does not necessarily go to the party that won the most seats in the parliament, but to the party most likely to be able to form a majority coalition. Mr Peres' spokesman said he is expected to announce his decision on Sunday or Monday. The 10 February election was called after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert handed in his resignation in September after being questioned by police over a series of corruption scandals. He has denied any wrongdoing. Mr Olmert has stayed on as acting premier. bbc