Israel: Binyamin Netanyahu announces that he has formed the next government

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu on December 13, 2022 in Jerusalem.

© GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP

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A few minutes from the final deadline, Israeli Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu announced late Wednesday evening December 21 that he would be able to form the next government with his partners from the ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties, i.e. the most to the right of Israel.

Although the prospective head of government has informed President Isaac Herzog, negotiations are still continuing on specific points.

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As usual, it was practically until the last moment that Benyamin Netanyahu led negotiations with the partners of his new coalition.

“ 

 ,” Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew to announce the formation of the next government.

The Israeli presidency, for its part, confirmed to AFP that the Prime Minister-designate had " 

 " Isaac Herzog " 

 " of this news on time.

All a few minutes before the deadline.

Because Benyamin Netanyahu had until 11:59 p.m. (9:59 p.m. GMT) on Wednesday to announce to the president that he had " 

 " in forming the next government, thus succeeding outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

In the wake of the elections and under Israeli rules, Netanyahu had until December 11 to announce his government, but he had asked for a fourteen-day extension, the maximum allowed by law.

However, President Herzog

additional days and the Israeli press was expecting an announcement during the day, even if the precise composition of the next government was not yet completely finalized.

Potentially the most right-wing government in Israel's history

The negotiations focused on points demanded in particular by Itamar Ben Gvir, the future minister responsible for the police and leader of the extremist

party .

In particular, the ban on displaying the Palestinian flag in public institutions in Israel, or even total immunity for soldiers and law enforcement, according to our correspondent in Jerusalem,

But it's not all over yet.

Technically, Benyamin Netanyahu has until January 2 to swear in his new team, the most right-wing government that has ever existed in Israel.

Undisputed winner of the November 1 elections and with the support of 64 deputies out of the 120 in the Knesset, Netanyahu therefore continues to proceed but with many difficulties towards the investiture of his government coalition. In particular, the Israeli deputies must still vote in second and third reading of bills to allow Arie Dery, leader of the ultra-Ordodox Shass party, to serve as a minister after being found guilty of tax evasion and Itamar Ben Gvir to extend his future powers as minister over the Israeli police.

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• Israel

• Binyamin Netanyahu