On 1 April 2009,
United Torah Judaism joined as well. In January 2011, Labor Party leader
Ehud Barak formed a breakaway party,
Independence, which enabled him to maintain his loyal Labor's MK faction within Netanyahu's government, and prevented the departure of Labor party as a whole from Netanyahu's coalition-government. Labor previously threatened to force Barak to do so. After Barak's move, Netanyahu was able to maintain a majority of 66 MK (out 120 in the
Knesset), previously having 74 MKs within his majority coalition. On 8 May 2012, following weeks of speculation that early elections would be called, Netanyahu announced a new
National Unity Coalition after striking a deal with
Kadima head
Shaul Mofaz bringing the coalition majority to 94 MKs. Kadima subsequently left the ruling coalition on 17 July due to a dispute over the
Tal Law. ==Basic policy guidelines==