Senior Labor minister Isaac Herzog on Tuesday announced his support for party leader Ehud Barak's bid to bring the center-left Labor into a coalition headed by Prime Minister-Designate Benjamin Netanyahu.
"A far-right government could push us to the brink of catastrophe," he said. "If it was possible for a government to be formed in which we could have a truly dramatic influence over all aspects, then I would want to be there and think that my party will not be damaged as a result"
Herzog, who until recently had refrained from voicing his opinion, made the comments shortly after negotiators from Labor and Netanyahu's Likud initialed a draft coalition agreement. The move has been bitterly opposed by seven of the party's 13 MK's.
He added: "I believe the agreement will have a dramatic impact on the way Israel will be governed in the coming years."
