Israel’s Netanyahu returns with hard-right cabinet, deepens bleak outlook for Palestinian state

Benjamin Netanyahu sealed a comeback as Israeli prime minister on Thursday as his hard-right cabinet was being sworn in with promises to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and to pursue other policies criticised at home and abroad.

The veteran leader, 73 and on trial for corruption charges he denies, has sought to calm concerns about the fate of civil rights and diplomacy since his bloc of nationalist and religious parties secured a parliamentary majority in a November 1 election.

His allies include the Religious Zionism and Jewish Power parties, which oppose Palestinian statehood and whose leaders – both West Bank settlers – have in the past agitated against Israel’s justice system, its Arab minority and LGBT rights.

Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged to promote tolerance and pursue peace. He told parliament that “ending the Israeli-Arab conflict” was his top priority, along with thwarting Iran’s nuclear programme and building up Israel’s military capacity.

Opponents heckled him with chants of “Weak! Weak!”. They say Netanyahu had to make costly deals to secure new partners after centrist parties boycotted him over his legal woes.

For Palestinians, Netanyahu’s line-up has darkened an already bleak outlook, with violence surging and Jewish settlements set to expand in the West Bank – among territories where they hope to build a future state.