Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former prime minister, was on Sunday officially tasked with forming a new government, paving the way for his comeback as the head of what is widely expected to be the most right-wing coalition in the country’s history.
Yet, the 73-year-old veteran politician promised to serve all Israelis, “those who voted for us and those who did not – it is my responsibility”. “I have decided to assign to you, Benjamin Netanyahu, the task of forming a government,” President Isaac Herzog told him at a ceremony in Jerusalem.
Israel has experienced a period of unprecedented political gridlock that forced five elections in less than four years.
Netanyahu’s Likud party and his ultra orthodox and ultra nationalist allies came first in the November 1 elections, ending the short-lived, ideologically diverse government that had removed him last year after 12 consecutive years in power. They received a clear majority in the 120-seat parliament.
Credit: Aljazeera.com
