Israel's formation of a national unity government, a common strategy by parliamentary governments in times of war or national emergencies, is a move to gird the Jewish state for an impending crisis involving Iran's nuclear program.
Though it could have formed a free-standing right-leaning coalition, Likud last week concluded an agreement with Israel's Labor Party for a national unity government, with Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. After February's elections, it had seemed the differences between Likud, the leading right-leaning party, and Labor, the leading left-leaning party, were too great to permit unity.
Later it looked as if Labor would split and just half of its members join with Likud. But Israel's dire security situation, particularly over Iran's nuclear program, drove Mr. Netanyahu and Labor's Ehud Barak, who still disagree on the peace process, to overlook their differences. Iran is at the top of the agenda for the incoming Israeli administration, with the peace process lower down.
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