Netanyahu piecing together Israeli far-right coalition for government

Former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu began to piece together a potential coalition government on Sunday, after an array of far-right parties swept to a majority in the Knesset during this week’s elections against a backdrop of systematic violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. 

Netanyahu plans to meet today with Aryeh Deri of Shas, Agudat Yisrael leader Yitzhak Goldknopf, Moshe Gafni of the United Torah movement and Religious Zionism party head Bezalel Smotrich. 

If the coalition can form a government, it will be the most far-right ruling coalition in Israeli history, with many politicians known for incendiary hate-speech against Palestinians expected to take cabinet positions. 

Among Netanyahu’s priorities will be to establish what demands each party will make in order to enter the governing coalition - and whether they can marry his own. 

Currently on trial for alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Netanyahu will be looking to his partners on the right to put a halt to the trial which had threatened to end his political career and put him behind bars. 

The Likud party chief will also meet with extremist nationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the Jewish Power party, who has already announced that he will ask Netanyahu for the internal security reins as well as expanded powers for the ministerial brief. 

The official results of the elections are due on Wednesday, when the central electoral authority will present the outcome to Israeli president Izaac Herzog. 

Likud is expected to take 32 seats, making them the largest party in the Knesset - followed by former governing party Yesh Atid with 24. 

Nominally centrist, Yesh Atid has overseen a campaign of soaring violence, land grabs and assassinations against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank and beyond. 

This year is on course to be the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2005 - just after the second Intifada.