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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 14 noveMber 2022

Israel's Netanyahu officially tapped to form government

By TIA GOLDENBERG orities and plum govern-
Associated Press ment appointments, Ne-
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Is- tanyahu's likely coalition
rael's president officially partners have promised to
tapped former Prime Minis- advance a series of legal
ter Benjamin Netanyahu to reforms and to weaken the
form a government on Sun- Supreme Court, measures
day, opening the door for that could make his legal
the likely return to power of woes disappear.
the long-serving leader af- Netanyahu's most promi-
ter a one-year hiatus. With nent partner is Itamar
Netanyahu comes what's Ben-Gvir, an extremist law-
expected to be Israel's maker who wants to ex-
most right-wing coalition pel Arab lawmakers and
ever. whose views were once on
Elections earlier this month the fringes of Israeli politics.
indicated a clear win for He is the top candidate of
Netanyahu and his ultra- the far-right Religious Zion-
Orthodox and ultranation- ism party, which earned 14
alist allies and ended the seats in the polls, making it
short-lived, ideologically-di- a key ally for Netanyahu.
verse government that had Ben-Gvir, who has been
ousted him last year after repeatedly convicted for
Netanyahu's 12 consecu- Israel's Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog pose on charges of incitement and
tive years in power. the podium after Herzog assigned Netanyahu the task of forming a government, in Jerusalem, supporting a terror group,
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.
Though political horse- Associated Press billed himself as a law and
trading began as soon as order candidate and is
the election results firmed ing a dark tunnel" with his wrap up negotiations. But taste for Netanyahu but ul- seeking the public security
up, Sunday's development expected government. key portfolios, including fi- timately collapsed over in- ministry, which is in charge
means Netanyahu now has "We will do everything to nance and defense min- fighting. Netanyahu served of the police. With the po-
up to six weeks to conclude make this, with God's help, istries, could prove a stick- as opposition leader during lice overseeing key holy
negotiations and cobble a stable government, a ing point and Netanyahu's that time. sites in Jerusalem, his ap-
together a government. successful government, a partners could seek to drag Netanyahu is expected pointment to such a sensi-
Netanyahu struck a con- responsible government, out talks to achieve their to emerge from negotia- tive post could inflame ten-
ciliatory tone at the Jeru- a dedicated government aims. tions with a stable majority sions with the Palestinians.
salem event where Israel's that will work for the benefit Netanyahu returns to pow- coalition of 64 seats in the Religious Zionism's leader,
ceremonial President Isaac of all residents of the state er after five elections in less 120-member Knesset. Bezalel Smotrich, a West
Herzog bestowed upon of Israel, without excep- than four years that were Netanyahu, 73, faces Bank Jewish settler who
him the task of forming a tion," he said. all essentially a referendum charges of fraud, breach of supports annexing parts of
government. Netanyahu With his allies keen on gain- on his fitness to serve while trust and accepting bribes the Palestinian territory, is
played down concerns by ing power and ending the on trial for corruption. He in a series of scandals in- vying for the defense min-
Israeli liberals and some of outgoing coalition's rule as was toppled last year by volving media moguls and istry, the main enforcer of
the country's international soon as possible, Netan- a coalition of eight parties wealthy associates. In ex- Israel's open-ended occu-
allies that Israel was "enter- yahu will likely try to quickly that united over their dis- change for their policy pri- pation of the West Bank.q

Slovenia elects first woman president in

a runoff vote

Anze Logar by 54% to 46%. sented former U.S. first lady already served two terms in
Her victory boosts the coun- Melania Trump in copyright office.While the presidency
try's liberal bloc following and other cases in her na- is largely ceremonial in Slo-
the center-left coalition vic- tive Slovenia. venia, the head of state still
tory in Slovenia's parliamen- She trailed Logar in the first is seen as a person of au-
tary election in April. round of voting two weeks thority. Presidents nominate
"My first task will be to open ago. prime ministers and mem-
a dialogue among all Slo- But since none of the seven bers of the constitutional
venians," she said as her contenders who compet- court, who are then elect-
election team celebrated. ed in the first round man- ed in parliament, and ap-
Liberal candidate Natasa Pirc Musarat celebrates at her Logar conceded defeat, aged to gather more than points members of the anti-
electoral headquarters in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Sunday, Nov. 13, saying he hopes Pirc Musar 50% of the ballots to claim corruption commission.
2022. "will carry out all the prom- outright victory, Logar and Logar, 46, served under for-
Associated Press
ises" that she has made dur- Pirc Musar went forward mer populist Prime Minister
By DUSAN STOJANOVIC task would be to bridge a ing the campaign. to a runoff. Analysts in Slo- Janez Jansa, who moved
Associated Press deep left-right divide in the Pirc Musar, 54, will be the venia had predicted that Slovenia to the right while
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) Alpine nation of 2 million. first woman to serve as pres- centrist and liberal voters in power and faced ac-
— Liberal rights advocate With nearly all of the votes ident since Slovenia be- would rally behind Pirc Mu- cusations of undemocratic
Natasa Pirc Musar won a counted in the small Euro- came independent amid sar. and divisive policies. Jansa
runoff Sunday to become pean Union nation, Pirc Mu- the breakup of Yugoslavia Pirc Musar will succeed was ousted from power in
Slovenia's first female head sar led Slovenia's conserva- in 1991. A prominent law- President Borut Pahor, a the parliamentary election
of state, and said her first tive former Foreign Minister yer, Pirc Musar had repre- centrist politician who had in April.q