Barak agrees to join Netanyahu's coalition, TV reports

Israel's Labour Party has voted to join Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in a coalition following a deal made with Labour's leader, Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Netanyahu now has the majority he needs in parliament to form a government.Israel's Labour party voted on Tuesday to join forces with Benjamin Netanyahu, giving the hawkish premier-designate the parliamentary majority needed to form a government, Israeli television reported. Labour delegates voted 680-507 in favour of a coalition deal which the leader of the party, outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak, had reached earlier in the day with Netanyahu, who heads the right-wing Likud party. The agreement will allow Netanyahu to broaden a coalition that would otherwise have been entirely dependent on support from far-right and religious parties. Greeted with a mixture of cheers and jeers, Barak told the convention before the vote that Israel "needs unity" after last month's tight general election. "An absolute majority of the citizens want to see us together with the right in the same government," he told delegates."I am not afraid of Benjamin Netanyahu, we will not be his figleaf ... We will be a counterweight that will ensure that we do not have a right-wing government," Barak said. Netanyahu has pushed for as broad a coalition as possible amid concerns a narrow right-wing alliance would be unable to survive for long in the turbulent world of Israeli politics.But he has failed to win over the centrist Kadima party of outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni -- the largest faction in parliament.Labour -- the once-dominant party that suffered its worst-ever showing in the February 10 election -- should get five ministries, according to the draft accord reached by Netanyahu and Barak.Barak, Israel's most highly decorated soldier, will keep the defence portfolio.Barak had initially objected to joining a Netanyahu-led government, but in a stark about-face he argued last week that Labour's participation was in Israel's interests.Under the agreement, the Netanyahu government platform will include a commitment "to reach a comprehensive regional peace agreement" and respect previous international agreements Israel has signed -- an apparent reference to accords reached with the Palestinians.