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Olmert nearing Israeli political coalition
 Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks Wednesday to participants of the International Bible Quiz in Jerusalem. RELATED
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSJERUSALEM (CNN) -- Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party signed an agreement Thursday with the Labor Party to join a coalition, according to a Labor spokeswoman. Labor, once the predominant political power in Israel, will receive seven Cabinet portfolios, including the Defense Ministry post for Labor leader Amir Peretz. The agreement means the coalition is reportedly one partner away from control of Israel's parliament. Kadima -- a new, centrist party formed by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and made up of former Labor and Likud members -- won the most seats in Israel's March 28 elections, and Olmert is in charge of forming a new government. With Thursday's agreement following a recent Kadima deal with the Gil -- or pensioners -- party, the new coalition has 55 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israeli's parliament. Israeli newspapers reported Thursday that the religious Shas party, which has 12 seats, also was close to a deal with Kadima. That would give Olmert's coalition the majority he would need to back his plan to set Israel's final borders within the next four years. Olmert ran on a platform that calls for Israel to "separate from the majority of the Palestinian population." He has refused to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following elections that left militant group Hamas in control of the Palestinian government. Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist organization, though it also operates an extensive social services network. The group's military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians as well as strikes on the Israeli military. Abbas has called for talks to resume, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has offered to host an Israeli-Palestinian summit. Olmert will meet in Washington with President Bush on May 23. Olmert's "convergence plan" is said to be on the agenda. Last summer, under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel withdrew from Gaza. Israel is building a separation fence or barrier between Israelis and Palestinians on the West Bank. Olmert said during the campaign he envisions completing the barrier, which would bring a number of West Bank Jewish settlements into Israel. The Israeli Cabinet declared Sharon permanently incapacitated on April 12 after he suffered a massive stroke earlier this year. (Full story) Olmert likely will take over the post officially when a new government is formed. 
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