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Rabat – Benjamin Netenyahu was sworn in today as Israel’s prime minister, coming back to the post as the head of a new far-right government that has already sparked protests from Palestinians and liberal Israelis.
Netenyahu, who is 73 years old, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, having filled the post from 1996 to 1999, and then again from 2009 to 2021.
He took the oath to assume office earlier today, following a vote of confidence in his new government, with 63 members of the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) voting for it and 54 voting against.
Netenyahu said his top priority would be ending the “Arab-Israeli conflict,” as well as countering Iran’s nuclear program and further developing Israel’s military.
While he and his coalition partners do hold the majority in the Knesset, Netenyahu’s government is already the subject of controversy in the region. He was heckled by opposition parties during his speech to the Knesset.
The new government, which has been described by some as the most right-wing and nationalistic one in recent memory, has sparked protests from Palestinians as well as liberal and left-wing Israelis, who worry that it will lead to new escalations against Palestinians.
Some have also opposed Netenyahu’s return to office as he is currently on trial for corruption, an accusation which he continues to deny.
Palestinians, who have faced one of their deadliest years in recent memory, have voiced worries that the new government will be even more aggressive.
Their worries have been supported by the presence of figures like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in Netenyahu’s government. The two had previously supported Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli man who killed 29 Palestinians in a mosque shooting in 1994.
Meanwhile, Israelis have reservations over Netenyahu’s stances on LGBT+ rights, although the new premier has continued to push back on those fears by claiming to be interested in taking care of “all of Israel’s citizens.”
