Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog is concerned about the new coalition government that will include religious fundamentalists and right-wing nationalists. A situation in which Israeli citizens face threats because of their identity or values is contrary to the country’s fundamental democratic and ethical principles, President Yitzhak Herzog wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Earlier, a nominated new government official from the right-wing Religious Zionism party said on the radio that hotels should be allowed to refuse services to people on religious grounds.
Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday that his government would ensure equality. “We will not allow members of the LGBTQ community to be discriminated against or violate the rights of other citizens of Israel,” he said. Nevertheless, his political rivals accuse the conservative politician of being vulnerable to the political demands of his far-right allies. Netanyahu has been prime minister on several occasions. Corruption proceedings are currently underway against him.
Tax cheat as Minister of Finance
In particular, the planned appointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir of the ultranationalist Jewish Force party and Bezalel Smotrich of Religious Zionism to the government has sparked concern among Palestinians, liberal Israelis and abroad. Both reject a Palestinian state and support the expansion of Israeli territory into the occupied West Bank. Ben-Gvir, convicted of racist hate speech and supporting terrorism, is to become security minister with responsibilities for the police, while Smotrich’s party is to be given control of planning in the West Bank. In addition, the head of the religious Shas party, Aryeh Deri, who has been convicted of tax fraud, wants to become finance minister.
In the parliamentary elections in early November, the bloc led by Netanyahu won 64 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. After Netanyahu initially announced that he would quickly form a government, it was only weeks later and just minutes before an extension of the deadline on December 21 that he announced that he had now succeeded in forging an alliance. However, all the details have not yet been determined. But his cabinet should be ready in the next few days. The alignment of the alliance has sparked international concern that a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, advocated by many countries, is now finally a distant prospect. (apa, repent)