Netanyahu inks deal with right-wing Shas party on coalition gov’t in Israel

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Likud Party of Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has signed a deal with the far-right Zionist Shas party to join the upcoming government.

Under the agreement, the head of Shas party, Aryeh Deri, will take the interior and health ministries in the first half of the government period (two years) while in the second half he will be finance minister.

In a previous agreement, Netanyahu agreed with Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, to take the finance minister portfolio for two years.

The agreement with Shas also stipulates that Shas will hold the Religious Services Ministry and the Welfare Ministry.

Netanyahu has made agreements with several far-right parties, including the Religious Zionism party, the Jewish Strength party, and the Noam Party. He is also negotiating with the United Torah over legislation requested by the party.

Under these agreements, the Likud party is expected to hold the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, justice, and infrastructure.

An election this November paved the way for Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, to return to power.

Many analysts and observers have expressed serious concerns over the ultra-radical Zionists the upcoming government is likely to be dominated by, and its implications for Israel-occupied Palestinian territories.

These radicals believe in the limitless expansion of illegal Jewish settlements and the complete occupation of Jerusalem as the Zionist state’s capital and reject the two-state solution.