Netanyahu’s new right-wing religious government takes office
Jerusalem The parliamentary session to swear in the new right-wing Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began in Jerusalem on Thursday. It is the right-most government that Israel ever had. Right-wing extremist politicians are also represented in the coalition for the first time.
Accompanied by angry heckling from the opposition, Netanyahu presented the most important goals for the next four years in the plenum. Everything will be done “so that Iran does not destroy us with a nuclear bomb”. His government will also work for rapprochement agreements with other Arab states.
Netanyahu accused the opposition of not wanting to accept the election results and instead inciting the people against his government. “Losing an election is not the end of democracy, it is the essence of democracy.”
The new government wants to implement far-reaching political changes and, among other things, specifically weaken the judicial system. According to experts, the changes could also lead to the cancellation of the ongoing corruption process against Netanyahu.
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Even before the swearing-in, several controversial legislative changes were pushed through in Parliament. These were considered a prerequisite for several coalition agreements.
Already the sixth government under Netanyahu
It is the sixth government that Likud leader Netanyahu is forming. The former long-term prime minister is returning to power after a year and a half in opposition. In Israel’s history, no one has been in office longer than the 73-year-old.
Netanyahu repeatedly emphasizes that he will set a moderate agenda himself and not be guided by his radical partners. He began distributing ministerial posts within his own Likud party on Wednesday. For example, Joav Galant is to become Minister of Defense and Jariv Levin Minister of Justice.
The new government has 64 out of 120 seats in parliament. Half of them belong to Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, the other half to the extreme right-wing Religious-Zionist Alliance and two strictly religious parties. Netanyahu’s camp had won a clear majority in the November 1 parliamentary elections. It was the fifth election in three and a half years.
