Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fourth government was sworn in Thursday night at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, after he appointed the final cabinet positions.

 Following introductory remarks by Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein, Netanyahu addressed the assembly saying that his government would pursue peace. He went on to say that he was leaving open the option for expanding the government. He also said that his new government must change the electoral system in Israel.

 Five parties are in the coalition government : Likud, Kulanu, Jewish Home, Shas and United Torah Judaism with a 61-seat majority out of 120.

Netanyahu listed his cabinet members in his Knesset speech.

The Prime Minister himself will hold the foreign, health, communications and regional cooperation portfolios : David Azoulay (Shas) – minister of religious services ; Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) – minister of immigration and absorption, and strategic affairs ; Ofir Akunis (Likud) – minister (no specific office) ; Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) – minister of agriculture and rural development ; Benny Begin (Likud) – minister (no specific office) ; Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) – minister of education, Jerusalem and diaspora affairs. (Netanyahu notes that any issues related to Jerusalem will be transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office) ; Avi Gabbay (Kulanu) – minister of environmental protection ; Yoav Galant (Kulanu) – ministry of housing and construction ; Gila Gamliel (Likud) – minister of senior citizens and minister of gender equality ; Danny Danon (Likud) – minister of science, technology and space ; Aryeh Deri (Shas) – minister of economy ; Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) – defence minister ; Yisrael Katz (Likud) – minister of transportation and road safety, and minister of intelligence ; Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) – minister of finance ; Haim Katz (Likud) – minister of welfare and social services ; Yariv Levin (Likud) – minister of tourism and minister of public security ; Miri regev (Likud) – minister of culture and sports ; Yuval Steinitz (Likud) – minister of national infrastructure, energy and water ; Silvan Shalom (Likud) – deputy prime minister and interior minister ; Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home) – ministry of justice

Press reports said that Netanyahu was holding on to the foreign affairs portfolio in hopes of possibly enticing the Zionist Union’s Isaac Herzog into the coalition in a later stage but Herzog makes clear in his Knesset speech that he will under no circumstances join Netanyahu’s “circus.”

“I advise you Mr. Prime Minister not to hold onto the Foreign Ministry, give it tonight to a member of your party,” he says.

“No fair leader would join the Netanyahu circus you have formed at the last moment, at any price, just to stay in power,” he adds.

He told Netanyahu that his coalition partners “pick pocketed” him, extracting wide-spread concessions from the prime minister.

“You did not form a government, you formed a circus,” Herzog says.

In its guidelines presented earlier this week, Netanyahu’s new coalition government stressed its desire to achieve peace with the Palestinians and Arab states.

“The government will advance the diplomatic process and strive to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians and all our neighbors, while maintaining Israel’s security, historical and national interests,” read the coalition guidelines presented to parliament.

“The Jewish people have the indisputable right to a sovereign state in the Land of Israel, its national and historic homeland,” they said.

“Any such agreement would be submitted to the Knesset for approval and if necessary by law, to a referendum.”

The rest of the government policy outline deals with issues such as reducing the cost of living, improving competition in the Israeli economy, boosting education and protecting the environment.

The guidelines are not inherently different to those published by Netanyahu for his two previous governments, formed in 2009 and 2013.

source: eipa.eu.com