Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli parliament the 25th Knesset in Jerusalem on Nov. 15, 2022. (Credit: Abir Sultan/Reuters)
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to swiftly form a government faltered on Sunday as a prospective far-right coalition partner demanded the cabinet role of defense minister.A clear right-wing victory in the Nov. 1 ballot — ending nearly four years of political deadlock — raised expectations within Netanyahu's conservative Likud of speedy alliances with like-minded religious-nationalist parties.But fissures have emerged between Likud and the powerful Religious Zionism party whose hard-line settler leaders oppose Palestinian statehood and want the occupied West Bank annexed — views in direct opposition to successive US administrations.Religious Zionism lawmakers are demanding party leader Betzalel Smotrich become defense minister in order to impact policy in the West Bank, more than half of...
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to swiftly form a government faltered on Sunday as a prospective far-right coalition partner demanded the cabinet role of defense minister.A clear right-wing victory in the Nov. 1 ballot — ending nearly four years of political deadlock — raised expectations within Netanyahu's conservative Likud of speedy alliances with like-minded religious-nationalist parties.But fissures have emerged between Likud and the powerful Religious Zionism party whose hard-line settler leaders oppose Palestinian statehood and want the occupied West Bank annexed — views in direct opposition to successive US administrations.Religious Zionism lawmakers are demanding party leader Betzalel Smotrich become defense minister in order to impact policy in the West Bank, more than...
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles
