Israel’s Netanyahu Returns As Premier With Rightwing Cabinet

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Benjamin Netanyahu returned as prime minister with the most right-wing government in Israel’s history during a turbulent session of the Knesset, the parliament.

The 73-year-old political veteran, on trial for corruption charges he denies, tried to calm concerns about the fate of civil rights and diplomacy under his bloc of nationalist and religious parties.

His cabinet has promised to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank and pursue other policies criticized by Palestinians who seek to carve out a state of their own.

Opponents heckled Netanyahu with chants of “Weak! Weak!” but the prime minister made clear he would not back down.

Critics said Netanyahu had to make costly deals to secure new partners after centrist parties boycotted him over his legal woes.

His government secured 63 of a possible 120 parliamentary votes in a confirmatory ballot before the cabinet was sworn in.

And despite the deeply conservative makeup of the right-wing majority, parliament elected Amir Ohana, an openly gay Netanyahu loyalist, as its new speaker.

Netanyahu’s bloc of parties secured a parliamentary majority in a November 1 election, despite concerns about his legal challenges.

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