Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Presents His Government's Guiding Principles

Israel's Knesset is currently holding a session to present its new government. Incoming Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced his government's guiding principles.

Here are a few of the highlights:

On Iran he said:

The greatest danger to the State of Israel and to all of mankind will come from a radical regime that will try to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I ask that we differentiate between radical Islam and from the Muslim worlds at large, which is itself threatened by extremists. . . . Israel wants to gain full peace with the entire Muslim and Arab world. Radical Islam doesn't only threaten us, but it, first and foremost, threatens us. . . . It has one goal he said 'to erase the State of Israel from the earth.'

On peace with the Palestinians he said:

Six Israeli prime ministers failed to broker a peace deal, and it's not their fault. I say to the leaders of the PA, if you really want to make peace, it is possible. My government will work alongside the Palestinian Authority toward peace in three ways: economy, security, and diplomacy. . . . We will negotiate with the Palestinians with the hope of reaching a final peace deal. We don't want to rule another country; we don't want to rule the Palestinians.

After his speech, Netanyahu announced his 30 cabinet ministers to the jeers and heckles of several Knesset members.

Tzipi Livni also gave a speech as head of the opposition, in which she called the new government a government full of "ministers for the interest of nothing." She wished the government success but only success in what is good for the state, "not in what is good for itself."

CORRECTION: An earlier mention that Netanyahu thanked Ehud Barak was incorrect. He, in fact, thanked Ehud Olmert for his service as Prime Minister.