A month after winning the elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally mustered a coalition government, considered to be the most right in the country’s history.
His coalition consists of the main ultra-Orthodox parties and members of the extreme bloc that ran under the Religious Zionism alliance.
One of the coalition parties of Netanyahu’s government has a history of spewing anti-Arab racism, with a leader once convicted of such an act.
The announcement sets the stage for him to return to power for the record sixth term.
Minutes after forming the government, the Israeli leader tweeted, “Thanks to the enormous public support we received in the last elections, I was able to establish a government that will work for the benefit of all Israeli citizens.”
Netanyahu made the announcement after meeting President Isaac Herzog, moments before a midnight deadline.
Netanyahu’s Likud party has been engaging in intense negations with his allies after the November polls.
However, the talks went on for weeks with Netanyahu forced to meet the demands for senior cabinet posts, some of which he was compelled to grant.
Among his most controversial moves was promising an expanded national security ministry to the head of the Jewish Power party, Itamar Ben Gvir, who has a long history of using incendiary rhetoric against Arabs.
It is currently unknown when the new government will be sworn in, but Netanyahu told Herzog that he intended to do so “as soon as possible”, reports AFP news agency.
Even before the ministers take charge, speculations have gained momentum on the reforms planned by the incoming government.
Experts have raised concerns about some legal reforms that could give the MPs the right to overrule Supreme Court decisions, saying that they threaten to undermine Israeli democracy.
The coalition partners have also proposed other measures that could end Netanyahu’s ongoing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
(With inputs from agencies)
