Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed this week that his coalition will prioritise achieving peace with the Palestinians and other Arab states, as his new government is set to be sworn in on Thursday evening.
The coalition guidelines presented to parliament read: “The government will advance the diplomatic process and strive to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians and all our neighbours, while maintaining Israel’s security, historical and national interests”.
It has been stipulated that any such agreement would be submitted to the Knesset for approval “and if necessary by law, to a referendum”.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s new coalition government is set to include centrist party Kulanu, the far-right Jewish Home party, and religious parties United Torah Judaism and Shas, as well as Netanyahu’s own Likud party. The coalition in total amounts to a narrow majority 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
