Benjamin Netanyahu sworn in as leader of Israel's likely most right-wing government ever - CNN

CNN  — 

Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday completed a melodramatic instrumentality arsenic Israel’s premier minister, aft being sworn successful arsenic the person of what is apt to beryllium the country’s astir right-wing government successful history.

Netanyahu and his authorities were sworn successful connected Thursday for his sixth word arsenic premier minister, 18 months aft helium was ousted from power.

He returns with the enactment of respective far-right figures erstwhile consigned to the fringes of Israeli politics, aft cobbling unneurotic a conjugation soon earlier past week’s deadline.

Members of Netanyahu’s Likud enactment volition capable immoderate of the astir important furniture positions, including overseas minister, defence curate and justness minister.

But a fig of politicians from the acold close of Israel’s governmental spectrum were acceptable to beryllium appointed to ministerial posts, contempt contention implicit their positions during the run-up to November’s election, which was won by a Netanyahu-led bloc of ultra-nationalist and ultra-religious parties.

Itamar Ben Gvir, an extremist who has been convicted for supporting terrorism and inciting anti-Arab racism, volition instrumentality connected a recently expanded nationalist information role, renamed nationalist information minister, overseeing constabulary successful Israel positive immoderate constabulary enactment successful the occupied West Bank.

Bezalel Smotrich, person of the Religious Zionism party, has been named curate of finance, and has besides been fixed powerfulness to name the caput of the Coordinator of Government Activities successful the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli subject portion which among its duties handles borderline crossings and permits for Palestinians.

During his campaign, Smotrich had projected a bid of drastic ineligible reforms, seen by galore critics arsenic a wide mode to undercut judicial independence. This includes dropping the quality to complaint a nationalist servant with fraud and breach of spot – a complaint Netanyahu faces successful his ongoing corruption trial.

Netanyahu has pleaded not blameworthy and called that proceedings a “witch hunt” and an “attempted coup,” and has called for changes to Israel’s judiciary system.

Aryeh Deri, person of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi enactment Shas, volition service arsenic interior curate and curate of health.

As the caller ministers were preparing to beryllium sworn successful astatine the Knesset, the country’s parliament, astir 2,000 demonstrators gathered extracurricular to protestation Netanyahu’s instrumentality to office, the Jerusalem Police spokesperson said.

The rightward displacement successful the Israeli authorities has raised eyebrows overseas and astatine home. On Wednesday, implicit 100 retired Israeli ambassadors and overseas ministry officials expressed concerns astir Israel’s incoming authorities successful a signed missive to Netanyahu.

The ex-diplomats, including erstwhile ambassadors to France, India, and Turkey, expressed “profound interest astatine the superior harm to Israel’s overseas relations, its planetary lasting and its halfway interests overseas emanating from what volition seemingly beryllium the argumentation of the incoming Government.”

The missive pointed to “statements made by imaginable elder office-holders successful the Government and the Knesset,” reports of argumentation changes successful the West Bank, and “some imaginable utmost and discriminatory laws” arsenic a constituent of concern.

US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides congratulated Netanyahu connected Thursday, penning connected Twitter: “Here’s to the stone coagulated US-Israel narration and unbreakable ties.” Nides is joined to Virginia Mosely, CNN US Executive Vice President for Editorial.

Biden medication officials person mostly avoided addressing the ultra-right components of the caller Israeli government. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said past week that the US “will prosecute with and justice our partners successful Israel connected the ground of the policies they pursue, not the personalities that hap to signifier the government.”

Netanyahu’s slim November triumph came successful the 5th Israeli predetermination successful little than 4 years, amid a play of protracted governmental chaos during which helium has remained a ascendant figure.

In his code to the Knesset connected Thursday, Netanyahu said that of the 3 large tasks assigned to his government, the archetypal volition beryllium to “thwart Iran’s efforts to get atomic weapons.” The 2nd precedence would beryllium to make the country’s infrastructure, including the launching of a slug bid and the 3rd would beryllium to motion much bid agreements with Arab nations “in bid to extremity the Israeli-Arab conflict.”

Netanyahu was already Israel’s longest-serving premier minister, having antecedently held the station from 2009 to 2021 and earlier that for 1 word successful the precocious 1990s.

Israel besides got its archetypal openly cheery talker of parliament connected Thursday. Amir Ohana, a erstwhile curate of justness and nationalist security, is simply a subordinate of the Knesset representing Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Some ultra-Orthodox lawmakers who had refused to be his swearing-in astatine the Knesset 7 years agone were among those who voted for him connected Thursday.

Ahead of the parliamentary ballot connected the caller government, outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid tweeted: “We walk connected to you a authorities successful fantabulous condition. Try not to ruin it, we’ll beryllium close back. The handover files are ready.”

With further reporting by Kareem El Damanhoury