Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held the first cabinet meeting for his new government earlier on Friday. The new right-wing coalition was
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held the first cabinet meeting for his new government earlier on Friday.
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The new right-wing coalition was sworn in late last night amid wrangling within his Likud party over cabinet posts.
Despite heckling by opposition lawmakers the new government was approved and inaugurated before midnight.
Netanyahu said the new government will continue to defend Israel.
The guidelines of the new government make no mention of a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead they pledge in general terms to “advance the diplomatic process and strive for a peace agreement with the Palestinians and all our neighbours.”
Earlier on Thursday clashes erupted in the West Bank city of Bethlehem between soldiers and Palestinians commemorating “Nakba Day,” the term used to describe their displacement during the 1948 war that led to the creation of Israel.
“Nakba,” or “catastrophe” in Arabic – is the term Palestinians use to describe their uprooting during the Mideast war.