JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a deal to expand his coalition government by bringing in the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party and appointing its leader Avigdor Lieberman as the new defence minister, a government official said on Wednesday. Moshe Leon, a representative for Lieberman, said the deal will be signed later in the day. The government official, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations, confirmed both sides have reached the agreement. The development caps a tumultuous week of politics that began with Netanyahu negotiating with the moderate Labor Party, against a backdrop of international pressure to relaunch peace efforts with the Palestinians, before choosing Lieberman’s party instead. With the deal, Netanyahu expands his coalition to 66 of parliament’s 120 members. He previously only had 61, the slimmest of majorities, which made it difficult to govern and legislate and opened him to potential extortion of any single lawmaker. Lieberman, one of Israel’s most polarizing politicians, will take over as defense chief in place for former military chief Moshe Yaalon, who resigned earlier this week. Yaalon, like Netanyahu, is a security hawk who was deeply skeptical of peace prospects with the Palestinians and led the military through a 50-day war against Islamic militants in the Gaza Strip in 2014. At times, he angered the US by criticising American peace initiatives in the region as naive or messianic. But he was protective of the military when it came under fire from ideologically-driven hardliners. His departure leaves the Cabinet dominated by religious and ultranationalist ministers who oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state and have close ties to the West Bank settler movement. Lieberman himself is a West Bank settler. In a three-decade political career, Lieberman has at times been Netanyahu’s closest ally and at other times a rival. While he is an experienced politician who has been foreign minister and held other top jobs, his security experience is limited. Over the years, Lieberman has made headlines for a series of incendiary comments. At one point, he called for bombing Egypt’s Aswan Dam and suggested toppling the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Just a few weeks ago, he threatened to kill a Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip. He has repeatedly voiced skepticism about pursuing peace with the Palestinians. Those close to Lieberman say he is far more pragmatic and level-headed in person than he appears in public. Netanyahu, in an apparent attempt to ease concerns over Lieberman’s arrival, has insisted his government remains committed to pursuing peace with the Palestinians.