Netanyahu is leading an Israeli government for the sixth time. His cabinet just passed Parliament. It is the most right-wing government that Israel has ever had. Some ministers have criminal records or have been convicted, and Netanyahu is under investigation. Critics see hard times ahead for the country.
Barely two months after the parliamentary elections in Israel, the government of the victor Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in in Jerusalem. It is the most right-wing government Israel has ever had. Right-wing extremist politicians are also represented in the coalition for the first time. Amir Okhana of Netanyahu’s right-wing conservative Likud party was elected speaker of parliament. In a vote of confidence, 63 of 120 Knesset MPs voted for and 54 against the new government. Former long-term Prime Minister Netanyahu is back in power after a year and a half. In Israel’s history, no one has been in office longer than the 73-year-old. It is already the sixth government that he is forming.
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 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.
His predecessor, Jair Lapid of the liberal Future Party, said in parliament that he was not handing over the baton with a calm heart. His government left the country in excellent condition, also with regard to international relations. “Try not to break this, we’ll be right back,” announced Lapid. Opponents of the new government demonstrated outside the Knesset.
The new government has 64 out of 120 seats in parliament. Half of them belong to Netanyahu’s Likud, the other half to the extreme right-wing Religious-Zionist Alliance and two strictly religious parties. The coalition wants to push through far-reaching political changes and specifically weaken the judicial system. According to experts, the changes could also lead to the cancellation of the ongoing corruption process against Netanyahu. This situation is “a major challenge,” said the head of the Israel Democracy Institute, Jochanan Plesner. As head of government, Netanyahu is in the dock with a clear conflict of interest. “It’s an extremely uncomfortable, dangerous and unhealthy reality.”
Netanyahu repeatedly emphasizes that he will set a moderate agenda himself and not be guided by his radical partners. But the opposition sees it differently: “Weak, weak, weak,” she chanted during Netanyahu’s speech. He distributed the most important ministerial posts within his own Likud party: Eli Cohen is to become foreign minister, Joav Galant defense minister and Jariv Levin justice minister. Several controversial politicians receive ministerial posts:
The government guidelines stipulate that the coalition also wants to push ahead with settlement expansion in areas that the Palestinians claim for a future state. In view of racist and homophobic statements by future coalition members, resistance is already stirring from various sections of the population. Protests came from representatives of the IT industry, companies, the Air Force and doctors. In a letter to Netanyahu, more than 100 former ambassadors and diplomats warned of damage to international relations.
