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The right-wing bloc, led by Israeli prime minister-designate Netanyahu, reached an agreement on Thursday to include the “religious Zionist” party in its governing coalition as part of efforts to form a new government. Under this deal, this party will alternately acquire the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, and the Ministry of National Missions.
In the continuous effort to train Israeli government Subsequently, the Prime Minister-designate signed off Benjamin Netanyahu On Thursday, he signed a coalition deal with the far-right “Religious Zionist” party, which secured the position of chief settlement official in the occupied West Bank, before escalating talks with the extremist religious parties.
The right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu, along with its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, captured the majority of seats in the Knesset, winning 64 out of 120 seats after the legislative elections, ahead of the rival camp led by centrist Yair Lapid (54 seats ).
Last week, Netanyahu’s Likud party signed an alliance agreement with the “Jewish Force” led by Itamar Ben Gvir, granting the latter the internal security portfolio, as well as with Avi Maoz (66), the sole representative of the “Noam” party known for its nationalist and anti-LGBT positions.
For more: The LGBT community in Israel is outraged by a deal between Netanyahu and an anti-gay lawmaker
On Thursday evening, Netanyahu signed an agreement with far-right “religious Zionism” leader Bezalel Smotrich, so that this party alternately gets the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Ministry of National Missions.
In addition, a minister of “religious Zionism” will be responsible for the settlements in “Judea and Samaria”, i.e. the occupied West Bank, within the scope of the tasks of the defense ministry, in coordination and in agreement with the prime minister.
As a reminder, about half a million Jewish settlers live in the occupied West Bank in settlements considered illegal by most of the international community, and of these, about 200,000 live in occupied East Jerusalem.
The number of settlers has more than quadrupled since the signing of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, which did not lead to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in 1967.
A joint statement by Smotrich with Netanyahu said: “Today we are taking another historic step to establish a Jewish, Zionist and national government that will restore security … and expand settlements.”
Netanyahu has yet to agree with his allies in the religious extremist parties “Shas” and “United Torah Judaism” to form the next government.
Netanyahu has 28 days to form a government, extendable by 14 days.
Netanyahu is considered the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, having held the position from 1996 to 1999 and then from 2009 to 2021, and is likely to form a government that will be the most right-wing in the history of the Jewish state.
France 24/AFP
