Netanyahu returns as Israeli PM, brings in new government

The Israeli Knesset, or parliament, swore in its new prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his new, right-leaning government. This will be Netanyahu’s sixth term as prime minister. He is Israel’s longest-serving leader. Many observers call the government he swore today the most right-leaning government the country has ever seen, and is composed largely of the Jewish Power and Religious Zionism parties, in addition to Netanyahu’s Likud party.

What will Netanyahu do now? His government has sworn to legalize settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which many in the international community consider illegitimate. He has also discussed thwarting Iran’s efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, and restoring law and order in Israel. The government has also sought to strengthen its relationship with the rest of the Arab world.

Dig deeper: Read Robert Nicholson’s review in WORLD Magazine of Walter Russell Mead’s book The Arc of a Covenant, which analyzes the relationship between Christian and Jewish Zionists and how it helped build Israel.