Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Monday, January 2, 2023

Netanyahu urges Likud patience on appointments, slams previous government’s ‘failures’

2 January 2023, 4:04 pm 0 Edit

Incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents his new government to the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 29, 2022 (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

Kicking off his first faction meeting after returning to the prime minister’s seat, Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu asks lawmakers for patience regarding unresolved issues of certain appointments, saying that finalizing the party’s internal distribution of roles will take a few more days.

He also launches a scathing attack on the previous government, claiming that he has discovered a “series of failures and neglect in a range of fields,” including alleged inaction on the rising cost of living and on Palestinian diplomatic efforts in the UN.

He also says his new government is subjected to “a coordinated and well-oiled attack,” urging Likud MKs to “contribute to the struggle against this incitement and return fire.”