Netanyahu is the prime minister of Israel again

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has returned to power after winning a majority in Israel’s general election. The country’s new government took oath on Thursday. As a result, he became the Prime Minister of Israel for the third time.

Before that, Netanyahu was the prime minister from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021.

Netanyahu had to join hands with Itamar Ben Gvir, head of the far-right Religious Zionism Party, to form the government. Gvir had to leave the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Netanyahu has two other partners in the coalition, also hard-right. The Israeli president gave Netanyahu a deadline for informing as to how he was forming the government and with whom he was going to form an alliance.

Half an hour before that deadline, Netanyahu’s Likud party announced that Netanyahu had completed negotiations to form a government. He is the Prime Minister for the third time.

Netanyahu lost the election last year after being the prime minister of Israel for 12 consecutive years. In June last year, the Knesset (Parliament) voted after a debate over the formation of a new coalition government. 60 votes were cast in favor of the new coalition government.

Benjamin Netanyahu received 59 votes. Later Yemina Party formed a government in alliance with Yar Lapid’s moderate party Yes Atid. But recently the former Prime Minister of the country, Naftali Bennett and Yar Lapid, had a rift. So this election had to be held.