Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a deal to form a new coalition government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a deal to form a new coalition government.

The agreement, seven weeks after his Likud party won the election, came just before a deadline for the formation of an administration.

Netanyahu needed backing from the right-wing Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party to give him the necessary 61 seats, the BBC reported.

"I'm sure no-one is surprised that these negotiations were lengthy," Netanyahu told a news conference.

"Time is of the essence, not only because I'm leaving now to call the president and the chairman of the Knesset [parliament] to tell them that I've managed to form a government, but also because we'll need to form it by next week in order to give a strong and stable government."

Netanyahu, who first became PM in 1996, is now on course for his fourth term in office.

The leader of Bayit Yehudi, Naftali Bennett, had demanded the justice ministry in return for support from his eight MPs.

He opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, enjoys the support of Israeli settler communities in the West Bank and has called for the annexation of parts of the occupied territory.

After Netanyahu’s Likud Party won elections on March 17 with 30 seats, it seemed he would have a relatively easy time forming a coalition and serving a fourth term as prime minister.

But the six-week negotiating process, which expired at midnight, turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated as rival coalition partners and members of Likud jockeyed for influential cabinet ministries.

Obama congratulates Netanyahu, says will work with new govt
   
US President Barack Obama congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday after the Zionist entity's Prime Minister forged a new coalition government.

"President Obama looks forward to working with Prime Minister Netanyahu," the White House said, in a businesslike statement that followed fierce pre-election exchanges between the two men.