Arab Presence In New Israeli Gov't Useless For MidEast Peace - Palestinian Diplomat

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th June, 2021) The inclusion of Arab party Ra'am in the new Israeli government led by Prime Minister-elect Naftali Bennett is unlikely to facilitate the peace process in the region, Palestinian Ambassador to France Salman El Herfi told Sputnik.

"Ra'am party's head, Mansoor Abbas, is an extremist and he is not interested in the solution of the conflict. He is working only for the interest of his own party and a small group of his electorate. He is the lackey for the right-wing and the Israeli government," El Herfi said.

The diplomat added that the Israeli opposition used the Ra'am party to topple former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the 12-year rule.

Bennett, a former defense minister, was appointed by parliament in a razor-thin 60-59 vote on Sunday. He will lead a patchwork coalition government of right-wing, leftist, centrist and Arab conservative forces who banded together to unseat 71-year-old Netanyahu.

Deadly clashes in East Jerusalem in early May led to the worst violence between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in recent years. The sides exchanged thousands of rockets throughout 11 days before an Egypt-brokered ceasefire was concluded on May 20.