Trump Seeks to Keep Two Ministers Out of Israel’s Next Government

US President Donald Trump is closely monitoring Israeli election developments amid indications that he wants to influence the makeup of the country’s next government.

Neither of Israel’s two political blocs has a clear majority, leaving the composition of the next governing coalition uncertain.

Trump’s apparent push centres on preventing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from including far-right leaders in the next cabinet. Two ministers are the focus of the effort to keep them out of government.

The indications of US pressure add another dimension to the unresolved coalition picture, though it remains unclear how much influence Trump could have over Netanyahu’s eventual choices.