Liberman and Gantz agree on forming coalition

Blue and White head Benny Gantz says he has agreed to demands set forth by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman to join a coalition, passing a major hurdle in his bid to cobble together a government.

In a Facebook post earlier Sunday, Liberman listed his conditions for joining a coalition, including upping stipends for pensioners and several religion and state matters.

“Agreed. We must move forward,” Gantz writes on Twitter, sharing Liberman’s post.

It remains to be seen if the Arab-led Joint List will back Gantz’s government given the inclusion of Liberman, an ultra-national hawk. The group is meeting to discuss what it may do ahead of a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin over whom it will recommend for prime minister, if anyone.