Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Netanyahu holds talks on forming new government
JERUSALEM: Veteran hawk Benjamin Netanyahu launched negotiations on Friday with his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies on forming what could be the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, raising concerns at home and abroad.
Netanyahu’s Likud party won 32 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, according to the latest official results of the election released on Thursday night. That combined with 18 for two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and 14 for the rising extreme-right alliance called Religious Zionism gave the rightwing bloc supporting Netanyahu 64 seats.
The centrist bloc of outgoing caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid won 51 seats, marking a definitive win for Netanyahu and an end to Israel’s unprecedented era of political deadlock, which forced five elections in less than four years.
That will likely mean prominent roles for the co-leaders of far-right Religious Zionism, which doubled its representation at Tuesday’s election.
“Where are they headed?” said the headline of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper with pictures of Netanyahu and Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extreme-right figure who is set to be a major player in the new government.
“Most of the important portfolios will be in the hands of fanatics,” columnist Sima Kadmon wrote in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
The election result came amid the backdrop of soaring violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel army said its fighter jets early on Friday targeted a rocket manufacturing site in the blockaded Gaza Strip, in response to several rockets fired towards Israel.
News of Netanyahu’s dramatic return was greeted by right-wing and nationalist leaders around the world: Italy’s farright Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orban were among the first to offer their congratulations.
Yet other traditional allies of Israel were more cautious.
While declining to speculate on the government make-up, US state department spokesman Ned Price said Washington hoped “that all Israeli government officials will continue to share the values of an open, democratic society including tolerance and respect for all in civil society”.
Britain called on “all Israeli parties to refrain from inflammatory language and demonstrate tolerance and respect for minority groups”, in a statement.