Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu returns to power supported by the far right and the ultra-Orthodox

Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that it can form a government together with its far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners marks the imminent return of the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history along with the most extremist executive on record since its founding.

The new government, still awaiting ratification by Parliament, It will be made up of 64 deputies from six different parties: two ultra-Orthodox, three religious and far-right and Netanyahu’s Likud, which won last month’s elections with 32 seats out of 120 in the lower house.

This Executive is more solid and homogeneous than the previous oner, which was composed of parties across the ideological spectrum, and will end the political blockade Israel has faced over the past four years, during which five general elections have been held.

On the other hand, Netanyahu will regain the throne which he occupied for a total of 15 years (1996-99 and 2009-21), after spending more than a year as leader of the opposition and as he faces trial against him for three different corruption cases.

what’s coming

The necessary procedures for the definitive formation of the new government will take place in the next few days, which foresee the official announcement before Parliament by its president, Yariv Levín, and the subsequent swearing-in of the executive at the head of its members, throughSomething that should happen before next January 2nd and that should not present major complications.

“Dear President, thanks to the enormous public support we received in the last elections, I inform you that I have been able to form a government that will act in the interest of all citizens of Israel. And, of course, I intend to establish it as quickly as possible.” Netanyahu told Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a phone call minutes before the deadline to form a coalition expired.

The soon to be prime minister made use of the 28 days due to him by law after Herzog had entrusted him with the task of forming an executive, plus a 10 day extension that expired at midnight tonight.

The composition of this new government has generated much controversyboth within Israel and in front of the international community.

This is due to the controversial record of many of them, especially members of the three far-right factions: Jewish power, religious Zionism and Noam.

Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben Gvir will serve as Minister of National Security, while Bezalel Smotrich, who leads Religious Zionism, will begin as Finance Minister and hold a ministerial post in the Defense Ministry.

the controversies

These parties also have MPs among their members openly anti-Arab racists and homophobeswho have already advanced that they will try to push ahead with projects such as banning LGTBI pride marches, deporting those who do not show loyalty to the state, and significantly increasing religious education even in secular schools.

One of the most controversial initiatives that the new government seeks to pursue seeks to limit the powers of the Supreme Court e It is part of the offensive that Netanyahu has been carrying out for years against the judicial system.

Known in Israel as the “Cancellation Clause,” this bill would allow the Knesset (Parliament) to pass laws that contradict the country’s Basic Laws – the basic norm in the absence of a constitution – and would eliminate the Supreme Court’s ability to override them.

This initiative he was questioned by multiple members of the opposition and has even been described by the state attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, as a danger to Israeli democracy.

The same prosecutor criticized a series of laws that the new government is trying to approve even before their ratification in Parliament and which would allow the expansion of the powers of Ben Gvir and Smotrich and the appointment of Aryeh Deri as Minister of the Interior and Health , leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas and barred from exercising the office of minister after being convicted of tax fraud.

These laws have already been approved in the first instance and should pass smoothly in the House next week, but any complications in this procedure could delay the government’s ratification until the January 2 deadline.

Source: EFE

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