Three days before the world ushers in the year 2023, Israel finally welcomed a new coalition, the first stable government to be sworn in after three years and five election cycles. Benjamin Netanyahu formed his sixth government and will now begin his sixteenth year as prime minister of Israel.
Although there are sharp disagreements about the incoming government, many expect it to last the full, four year term. This is because it is made up of 63 seats, and all of the parties in the coalition are considered right-wing.
Although Netanyahu’s first speech in the Knesset yesterday was marked by a stormy response from the new opposition, he still managed to explain his top three priorities for the new government.
First, he vowed to take necessary steps to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. Historically, Bibi has been Iran’s worst political enemy, and it can be expected that Israel will take a strong approach in dealing with the country that has vowed their destruction.
Second, the new prime minister said his new government will focus on building up Israel’s infrastructure. He mentioned that this will include plans for a new bullet train that will travel hundreds of kilometers an hour and go from Israel’s north all the way to the south, making travel from one end of the country to the other fast and easy.
Lastly, Netanyahu stated that his third goal for the incoming government is to expand the circle of peace with Israel’s Arab neighbors, following in the footsteps of the Abraham Accords. Many believe that Saudi Arabia is at the top of that list, and that Bibi will aggressively pursue a normalization agreement with the country.
Just before taking office, Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted the following statement:
These are the basic lines of the national government headed by me:
- The Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the Land of Israel.
- The government will promote and develop settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel – in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan, Judea and Samaria.
Psalm 122 calls for us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. As we prepare to enter the new year, we can add to that mandate to begin praying for Israel’s new government.
We have prayed every day for Israel and their leaders, and especially that all Israeli’s will come to recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah and find Him as their savior. Thanks for your dedicated commitment to the land of Israel and her many and diverse people. I pray often that God would fill their hearts with a sincere desire to know Him and hunger after the Word of God.