Israel’s right-wing Jewish Home party today abandoned threats to leave the government, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition in place — at least for now.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett had threatened to quit the government if he did not get the defense portfolio following Avigdor Liberman’s resignation last week over a cease-fire with Hamas. After Netanyahu refused and took over the position himself, Bennett and his party’s co-leader, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, said they’d stay in the government to push Netanyahu to "be stronger and restore the military deterrence over Hamas."