July 31 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he is interested in expanding his government with the center-left Zionist Union party in order to promote diplomatic opportunities, the Ha'aretz daily reported.

Netanyahu told Israeli diplomatic reporters in a background talk that he is keeping the foreign ministry portfolio for himself for the time being, hoping that the Zionist Union party would join his government and receive the portfolio.

"At this point there are no contacts but I do wish to expand the government," Netanyahu said on Sunday, the Ha'aretz daily reported.

The Israeli prime minister said he has "very good reasons" to expand the government, as the challenges ahead are immense in a changing world, in which "diplomatic opportunities" arise.

The Israeli prime minister is serving as the foreign minister since the March 2015 elections.

In May, negotiations were underway between Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party and the center-left Zionist Union party, led by Isaac Herzog, for the latter party to join the ruling coalition.

The contacts ended abruptly in late May, with Netanyahu announcing instead of striking a deal with hawkish lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman, who was appointed as defense minister instead of former Likud minister Moshe Ya'alon.

Also on Sunday, Herzog retained his post as the Labor party chief (part of the Zionist Union list), despite growing criticism about his conduct and his past efforts to join Netanyahu's government.

As many as 750 delegates of the Labor party voted to keep Herzog as the chairman of the party until July 2017, while 402 delegates voted to hold elections by the end of 2016 for the position.

Herzog canceled his speech at the party's convention on Sunday,  after audience members booed him and called for his resignation.

The Labor party is associated with supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, pragmatic foreign affairs policies and social democratic economic policies.

Israel is facing increasing international pressure to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, after a 10-month wave of violence claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and 220 Palestinians.

The last round of talks between the parties ended abruptly in April 2014 without results.

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by Xinhua News Agency

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