‘I’ve done it’: Netanyahu announces his 6th government, Israel’s most hardline ever

7 weeks after elections and minutes before deadline, Likud head tells president he’s mustered a majority; he has yet to finalize coalition deals with any of his partners

Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Isaac Herzog late on Wednesday that he has come to agreements with his coalition partners to form Israel’s 37th government, delivering a promise of right-wing and religious-led political stability seven weeks after the country’s fifth election since 2019 and minutes before the expiration of his mandate to form the next government. The Likud leader has yet to finalize coalition agreements with any of his party’s intended partners, however.

In line with Israeli law, Netanyahu must now inform Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, who will announce the development during Monday’s legislative session. After that, Netanyahu will have seven days to swear in his government. Some Likud party sources say this is likely to happen before the January 2 deadline.

The negotiations between Netanyahu and his far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners came down to the wire, with the Otzma Yehudit party saying an hour before the deadline it was still locked in negotiations with Netanyahu’s Likud and it “wasn’t clear” if the two sides would reach an agreement. Even after the deadline, however, full coalition agreements had yet to be signed between Likud and any of its partners.

Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu informs President Isaac Herzog that he has managed to form a government, in a phone call shortly before a midnight deadline, December 21, 2022 (Likud spokesperson)