New Israeli government takes shape

JERUSALEM -- After weeks of tough bargaining, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a coalition agreement with his two major partners, politicians said, paving the way for the formation of a new Israeli government days before a visit by President Barack Obama.

But the signing of the accord was delayed Thursday, at least for a day, when the two parties accused Netanyahu of reneging on a promise to name their leaders as deputy prime ministers.

The agreement awards important cabinet posts to the two party leaders who emerged as rising stars in the Israeli election in January: Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party, the second largest in parliament, and Naftali Bennett of the right-wing Jewish Home faction.

Obama, in an interview with Israel's Channel 2 Television, said Iran is still more than a year away from building a nuclear weapon while indicating the United States is ready to act militarily if sanctions don't force the Iranians to stop development.

-- The Washington Post,

with Bloomberg News