Barak says able to form new government

Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak informed Shimon Peres, the temporary head of the Israeli Knesset, that he will present his new government at the Israeli Knesset to be ratified during the coming week.

This declaration came after ratification by the Shas religious right movement of the coalition agreement with Israel's One Israel movement to join the new governmental coalition.

The movement signed this agreement after a large argument regarding the existing conflict between Shas movement and the National Religious Party regarding sharing the Ministry of the Religious Affairs in the new government.