Mr. Herzog said he had ceased negotiating with Mr. Netanyahu late Tuesday night after reaching a dead end. By contrast, Mr. Lieberman, 57, foreign minister in two previous governments led by Mr. Netanyahu, is known as a blunt-talking, polarizing figure. The change came suddenly on Wednesday when Mr. Lieberman, speaking to reporters at noon, challenged Mr. Netanyahu to make him a serious offer to join the coalition. A leading Labor rival, Shelly Yacimovich, who has been vocal in her opposition to joining the Netanyahu coalition, accused Mr. Herzog of shaming the party by pursuing a deal. If he becomes defense minister, Mr. Lieberman will replace Moshe Yaalon, a Likud politician and former chief of staff of the Israeli military.

Source: New York Times May 18, 2016 18:19 UTC