Netanyahu announces coalition deal to return to power

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced that he had negotiated a coalition framework with supportive parties to allow him to return to power.

Israel's longest serving prime minister will soon lead a coalition of six parties on a right-wing platform, the New York Times reported. Many establishment media outlets, including the Times, have bemoaned his return to power and warned that his victory could signal a drift away from democracy for the Jewish nation.

The coalition is likely to pursue a strengthening of the nation's Jewish identity and to reduce Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank.

Netanyahu left office in early 2021, prompting a slew of elections that produced short-lived coalition governments and political instability.

Complicating matters is an active investigation against the soon-to-be prime minister by Israel's attorney general. While Netanyahu has vowed not to use his office to thwart that inquiry, some members of his newly formed coalition have signaled they would curtail the judiciary's power and legalize some of the crimes of which Netanyahu has been accused.