The new unity government formed after opposition leader Shaul Mofaz and his Kadima party cohorts joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-led coalition on Wednesday, might get even more members.

Originally, it was thought that only Mofaz would join as a minister-without-portfolio, but three more Kadima members might also be part of the new government, a revelations that sparked heavy criticisms of the deal by Likud ministers, according to the Israeli Ynet news site.

Even prior to the deal, the government was one of the largest in Israeli history with 29 ministers - now even 30 with Mofaz. The expanded coalition will hold 94 out of 120 seats in the unicameral Knesset legislature.

"Right now there is not even one party, that if it leaves the government, then the coalition will collapse," Prof. Tamar Hermann of the Open University of Israel told Xinhua on Thursday.

"From that point of view, the situation is much better than that it used to be, because before the creation of the unity government it was possible for several partners to the collation to bring it down if they walked out," she added.

While the new stability may have improved governability for the prime minister, there are still those who doubt that new government will take a different approach from the previous one.

Dr. Guy Ben-Porat of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said that the new government would likely be able to stay united until parliamentary election is held at the end of 2013, even if one or two members were to leave.

"This large unity government is based on doing nothing, or doing as little as possible to survive. If Netanyahu wanted to make a bold political move he would have built another coalition and not a larger coalition," Ben-Porat said.

REFORMING THE ECONOMY

Netanyahu said that one of the four goals that the new government will address is the "passing a responsible budget that will balance between the state's security and social and economic needs."

The three other issues are changing the Tal Law, which exempts ultra-orthodox Jews from mandatory military or national service, to a more equal law. In addition, the government would promote a responsible peace process with the Palestinians and try to change the electoral process to a more representative system.

Ben-Porat said that on the economy, Mofaz doesn't have an economic agenda any different from other parties in the government.

"Mofaz might spend a little more money on some issues but a major reform or a different economic approach is unlikely. So in that sense, a large government won't make a big difference," Ben- Porat said.

Following last year's nationwide social and economic protests that focused on spiraling cost of living, Netanyahu appointed a commission to find ways to reform the economy and address the protestors' demands.

In March, the government approved some of the recommendations of the Trajtenberg Commission, named after its main author Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, on housing market reforms largely aimed at increasing construction of economical apartments.

However, the government has so far only dealt with cartelization of the economy by a few large families and corporations.

Hermann believes that the government will likely implement some of additional recommendation because they know that domestic issues will be very central to the election campaign next year. As well, they'll have to show some achievements or at least efforts to deal with the recommendations.

However, there is also the possibility that "they may use the external economic crisis as 'force majeure' for not taking it into a full implementation," she said.

TAL LAW

Ben-Porat said that reforming the Tal Law into a service for all law that would also include Israeli-Arab could be a point of friction between the ultra-orthodox religious parties and Yisrael Beiteinu under Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

"However, since none of the religious parties have left the government so far, they will find a compromise that will satisfy everyone," Ben-Porat said.

He added that issue has been given too much media attention in Israel and the fact the ultra-orthodox doesn't serve isn't a major manpower issue for the army.

"There is a moral question here and an equality debate but the greater problem is whether the religion will take part in the labor market for example, not in the military," Ben-Porat said.

"I think that they will find a way around the Tal Law," he added.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

The peace process has been in a state of deadlock for the past two years, and Hermann said that while the new government has the votes to push the issue forward, it might lack the will.

"If you are looking at settlement issues, most parties in the coalition are right-wing parties. So, I don't see them launching a massive peace effort, certainly not before the next election because I don't see it as something that's on their agenda," she said.