Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu declared late on Wednesday that he had successfully created a new coalition, paving the way for his return to power as the leader of the most conservative Israeli government ever to hold office.
Netanyahu made the statement over the phone to President Isaac Herzog just minutes before the deadline at midnight. His Likud Party posted a short video of Netanyahu smiling and an audio recording of the chat.
Netanyahu stated, “I am pleased to inform you that, thanks to the overwhelming public support we obtained in the elections, I have been able to build a government that will care for all Israeli residents.”
The action followed weeks of unexpectedly difficult discussions with his partners, who must still ratify their power-sharing agreements with Netanyahu’s Likud Party. Netanyahu stated, though, that he hopes to conclude the process “as soon as feasible next week.” A date for its inauguration was not given immediately.
Netanyahu confronts a challenging assignment, even if he is successful. He will lead a coalition dominated by far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners pushing for dramatic changes that could alienate large portions of the Israeli public, increase the risk of conflict with the Palestinians, and put Israel on a collision course with some of its closest allies, including the United States and the Jewish American community.
Netanyahu has already secured agreements with a number of the most problematic political personalities in Israel.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was previously convicted of racist incitement and aiding a terrorist group, has been appointed security minister, a new job that would put him in charge of the national police force.
Bezalel Smotrich, his running mate and a West Bank settler leader who believes Israel should seize the occupied territory, will also serve as finance minister and have broad responsibility over West Bank settlement expansion.
Avi Maoz, the leader of a minor anti-LGBTQ religious group, has been placed in charge of portions of the country’s public education system. Maoz, who is openly antagonistic to the prevalent liberal streams of Judaism in the United States, has also been nominated as the deputy minister in charge of “Jewish identity.”
Netanyahu and his allies won a majority of 64 seats in the 120-member Knesset in the November 1 election, and he vowed to immediately form a government. However, this procedure proved to be more difficult than anticipated, in part because his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies requested assurances over the scope of their authority.
Before the cabinet is sworn in, Netanyahu will attempt to pass a series of measures expanding Ben-authority Gvir’s over the police and creating a new ministerial position providing Smotrich duties in the West Bank previously held by the defense minister.
Aryeh Deri, a seasoned politician who once served time in prison for bribery, will attempt to pass legislation allowing him to continue as a government minister while he is on probation for a tax-related conviction from earlier this year.
In the meantime, the ultra-Orthodox are requesting increased financing for their independent school system, which has been heavily criticized for emphasizing religious subjects while giving its pupils with few employability skills.
Netanyahu granted many plumbing jobs to his coalition allies, causing Likud legislators to compete for a dwindling number of assignments.
Netanyahu, who is now on trial for suspected corruption, is ready to return to office after serving as opposition leader for the past year. It is anticipated that he and his allies will pass a series of reforms that would shake up the country’s judicial system and could free Netanyahu of all allegations.
Netanyahu served as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, holding the position for a total of 15 years prior to his resignation last year. He asserts that he is the victim of overzealous police, prosecutors, and courts. Critics, however, argue that the measures, including an expected proposal that would allow the legislature to overrule Supreme Court decisions, will undermine the country’s democratic institutions and system of checks and balances.
Netanyahu has attempted to present himself as the responsible adult in the incoming government, claiming in interviews that he will establish policy. However, his partners are sure to test him at every opportunity.
Ben-Gvir, who is notorious for his anti-Arab rhetoric and provocative actions, such as displaying a pistol in a violent Palestinian neighborhood, has asked for a relaxation of the rules of engagement that prohibit security forces from shooting at suspected Palestinian attackers. In addition, he wishes to provide military immunity from prosecution in such situations.
Additionally, he desires to relax limits on Jewish visits to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, a hilltop compound cherished by Jews and Muslims. In the past, even the tiniest adjustments at the site have triggered violent conflicts, and Ben-plans Gvir’s have already prompted warnings from the Hamas militant organization in the Gaza Strip.
Plans by Smotrich to accelerate West Bank settlement development and legitimize hundreds of illegally constructed outposts may also exacerbate relations with Palestinians and the international community. The hostility of his partners toward the Reform and Conservative streams of Judaism has irritated Jewish American organizations.
Netanyahu’s anticipated concessions to the ultra-Orthodox and ambitions to restructure the country’s judicial system may enrage many members of the secular middle class at home. Dozens of high-tech executives signed a petition last week expressing concern that the ideas could deter investors, and protests against the impending coalition have already begun.
Both the United States and the European Union have stated that they will evaluate the new government based on its programs, not its individuals. In a recent address, however, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear that he expects Israel to preserve “shared principles” and refrain from measures that could impede the creation of a Palestinian state.
Yohanan Plesner, a former member of the Knesset and the current president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based think tank, stated that he anticipates the formation of a solid coalition in the coming days.
“It is in the best interest of all coalition members to create this government,” he stated. Everyone has much to gain and much to lose if it does not form.
During tensions in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian doctors said that Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 23-year-old man and wounded five others.
Ahmed Daraghmeh was fatally injured as Palestinian terrorists traded gunfire with Israeli troops who had infiltrated the Palestinian city of Nablus to accompany Jewish pilgrims to the biblical Joseph’s Tomb.
In amateur recordings that Palestinians recorded from their windows, shooting could be heard.
Daraghmeh came from the nearby town of Tubas, where he played soccer for the local team. It was unclear whether he participated in the conflict.
According to the Israeli military, soldiers escorted Israeli people to the holy site, while Palestinians “threw explosive devices and opened fire on the soldiers,” to which the Israelis reacted with live fire. It was reported that soldiers confirmed shooting a Palestinian.
According to government statistics, 150 Palestinians and 31 Israelis have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian combat in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, making 2022 the bloodiest year since 2006.
According to Israel, the majority of Palestinians slain were terrorists, but several stone-throwing adolescents and individuals not involved in the rioting were also killed.
»Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel says he has forged a new coalition«