Members of the Israeli right-wing Likud party have denied that there are ongoing contacts with the Labor Party over the possibility of forming a national unity government, reported Haaretz, quoting Israel Radio on Tuesday.
Aides close to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, however, said they were aware of the talks, but that as of yet they had not produced any concrete results, said the report.
But the army radio reported that Barak has reached the conclusion that the chances of forming a unity government in the near future are unrealistic. Nevertheless, from Labor's side, the initiative is being led by several members of the One Israel party.
Efforts are also underway by some coalition members to ascertain whether the ultra-Orthodox parties will be prepared to withdraw their support for early elections if the coalition agrees to support a law that would essentially extend army exemptions to yeshivah [religious] students, Haaretz said – Albawaba.com
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