Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in Thursday for a sixth term as Israeli prime minister, taking the helm of a new coalition government cobbled together from six religious and right-leaning parties.
While addressing a session of the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, on Thursday, before a vote of confidence in the new government was held, Netanyahu was disrupted by opponents in the chamber, who called him “weak,” Al Jazeera reported. In his speech, he promised to secure an end to the Arab–Israeli conflict, thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and ramp up Israel’s military development.
The unapologetically conservative political veteran’s return to power marks the second time he has re-taken the top job after having been defeated. Netanyahu had previously served two uninterrupted stints as prime minister, first between 1996 and 1999 and then again between 2009 and 2021.
Many observers of Israeli politics have noted that the new government is more radical than its predecessors. For example, six crucial seats in the Knesset were allotted to Otzma Yehudit, the far-right party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was once an avid supporter of the banned Kach Party. Ben-Gvir’s views were considered so extreme that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at one point prohibited him from serving despite the nation’s policy of mandatory conscription. In November, Netanyahu agreed to appoint Ben-Gvir national-security minister.
On the foreign-policy front, Netanyahu has already put pressure on the Biden administration to mend its relationship with Saudi Arabia, which he believes is essential to keeping geopolitical tensions tamped down in the region.
“The traditional (U.S.) alliance with Saudi Arabia and other countries, has to be reaffirmed. There should not be periodic swings, or even wild swings in this relationship, because I think that the alliance . . . is the anchor of stability in our region,” Netanyahu told Saudi-owned publication Al Arabiya, per Reuters. “I’m to speak to President Biden about it.”
Netanyahu has signaled he will allow a hard-line approach to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict issue. His government is expected to support West Bank-settlement expansion. Ben-Gvir’s portfolio will make him responsible for border police stationed in the territory, who are tasked with responding to terrorist attacks and defending Jewish communities.