Benjamin Netanyahu was invited Sunday to form a new government by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, a move that would make him Israel’s longest serving leader with six terms as prime minister.
Netanyahu, who lost his position as prime minster in 2021, was endorsed to lead Israel once again by more than half of Israel’s 120 parliament members after a political consultation with Herzog, The Week reported. Given the strong support he has in the Knesset, it is believed Netanyahu will have little trouble forming a new government within the 28 day requirement.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog asked Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government, allowing the former prime minister to secure the country’s top job for a record sixth time. https://t.co/8aXaNuDGan pic.twitter.com/9saqWFpQPU
— CNN (@CNN) November 13, 2022
Netanyahu’s path back to power has seen him ally himself with parties further right than himself, according to CNN. He has been campaigning on the same policies he supported when he was in power, chiefly national security, an anti-nuclear Iran, supporting Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and reducing the cost of living, CNN reported. (RELATED: ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu Is Poised For A Political Comeback. Here’s What It Means For Biden’s Agenda)
“Israel’s citizens require a stable and functioning government. A government that serves all citizens of Israel, both those who supported and voted for it and those who opposed its establishment; a government that works on behalf of and for the sake of all shades of the Israeli mosaic, from all communities, sectors, faiths, religions, lifestyles, beliefs, and values, and that treats them all with sensitivity and responsibility,” Herzog stated, according to CNN.
Netanyahu added that he hoped it would be a “stable, successful, and responsible government of all of the people of Israel.”
If Netanyahu is successful at forming a government by December 11, a confidence vote will be called in the Knesset and if passed, his government will take power, per CNN.