520 |
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|b In the wake of the 19st Israeli general elections held on January 22, 2013, some described the results as ‘historic’, expected to bring about an obvious turn in the internal political map. \ However, any comparison with the previous balloting in 2009 shows that no relevant radical shift seems to take place. According to the reality of the results, none of the two main camps is able to impose its own agenda without a comfortable majority. Therefore, the political plans of the new government are not likely to come up with any noticeable change. \ The cabinet, the 33rd of its kind since the establishment of the state, was formed on March 14, 2013 after nearly 45 days of consultations and is headed by Benyamin Netanyahu. In the Knesset, it won the confidence vote by 68 and was opposed by 48 members. \ It consists of 21 ministers from the various blocs of the government coalition. It is relatively so small in contrast with its 30-member predecessor, in spite of the similar number of parties participating in both cabinets. The formation also witnessed the absence of Shas party for the first time since 2005. \ There are a number of outstanding external issues awaiting the government, such as the Iranian nuclear file, the Syrian crisis and the peace with the Palestinians. On the other hand, some internal issues need to be handled like the budget, support for the middle class, settlement and military service for the ultraorthodox.
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