Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's prime minister on March 31, after forming a coalition comprised largely of parties that reject the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. (Moti Milrod, Maan Images)

Israeli general elections in February showed large gains for the right-wing and left onlookers wary of the prospects for peace.

Though Tzipi Livni's Kadima party received more votes than Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud, Netanyahu was in a stronger position to form a government due to large gains for other right-wing parties. As such, he was tapped by Israeli President Shimon Peres and given six weeks to form the next government.

Netanyahu successfully courted enough parties to form a majority, and was sworn in as prime minister on March 31. His coalition holds 74 of the 120 seats in the Knesset.

Background

Kadima took the largest number of seats in the February 10 elections, gaining 28 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset. But the right-wing Likud - led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state or equal rights for Palestinians in Israel - was not far behind, with 27 seats.

The far-right Yisrael Beitenu party, which advocates stripping Palestinian citizens of Israel of their citizenship and right to vote if they fail to pledge allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state, became Israel's third largest party, after winning 15 seats - while the once dominant Labor party came in fourth, with a mere 12 seats.

Netanyahu's initial attempts at forming a 'center-right' 'national unity' government were scuttled by mixed signals from Tzipi Livni's Kadima, the Knesset's largest party, and an initial rejection from the Labor party, now the Knesset's fourth largest. However, further talks between Likud and Labor resulted in the latter's agreement to join Netanyahu's government.

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Check out our overview of the parties that form Israel's new government - as well as those who opted not to join Netanyahu's coalition - or read more commentary and analysis on the new Israeli government and the prospects for peace from a Palestinian perspective.

Coalition Partners

The following parties comprise Netanyahu's current governing coalition.

Likud
Seats won: 27
Previous seats: 12

Likud rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state. It insists on completing the separation wall and maintaining Israeli control over most of the Occupied Palestinian West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the main settlement blocs, the Jordan Valley and Judean Desert - relegating Palestinians to a series of disconnected Bantustans. Read more.

Yisrael Beitenu
Seats won: 15
Previous seats: 11

Yisrael Beiteinu is headed by the controversial Moldovian-born Avigdor Lieberman who has advocated the forced expulsion of Israel's Palestinian citizens. The party is primarily driven by a desire to cleanse Israel of as many non-Jews as possible. Its main support comes from recent immigrants from areas of the former Soviet Union. Read more.

Labor
Seats won: 13
Previous seats: 19

Labor's platform closely resembles that of Kadima with regard to the peace process. Labor also mentions the need for a return to the Roadmap for Peace, yet supports unilateral action that would allow Israel to retain control of the Palestinian land on which its major settlement blocs, housing roughly 87 percent of Israel's settler population, sit. Read more.

Shas
Seats won: 11
Previous seats: 12

Shas, the Knesset's largest religious-Zionist party, is guided by the controversial Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, whose inflammatory remarks about Arabs have caused outrage in Israel. The party opposes any negotiations over the status of Occupied East Jerusalem, and though it has expressed some willigness to engage in the peace process, usually takes a hard-line on the Palestinian issue. Read more.

United Torah Judaism
Seats won: 5
Previous seats: 6

A religious Zionist bloc, United Torah Judaism supports the application of Jewish law, and its policies and ideology are heavily influenced by a council of religious scholars. The party has consistently expressed its unwillingness to support any moves by the Israeli government to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority over the status of Jerusalem, insisting that occupied East Jerusalem remain under Israeli control. Read more.

The Jewish Home
Seats won: 3
Previous seats: 9 (as part of National Union-NRP)

A religious-Zionist party that emerged from the split of the National Union-NRP, The Jewish Home rejects the return of any of the Occupied Territories. Both parties oppose the creation of a Palestinian state on territory between Israel and Jordan. Instead, it promotes active Jewish settlement of all the Occupied Territories. Read more.

Zionist Parties Outside the Coalition

Most of the following parties held coalition talks with Likud, but declined to join over differences on specific issues.

Kadima
Seats won: 28
Previous seats: 29

Kadima's platform indicates an acceptance of the Roadmap for Peace, the need for territorial compromise and a negotiated agreement to establish an independent Palestinian state. However, the actions of the Israeli government since Kadima came to power suggest the intention to retain control of as much Palestinian land as possible. Read more.

The National Union
Seats won: 4
Previous seats: 9 (as part of National Union-NRP)

A religious-Zionist party that ran on its own after the split of the National Union-NRP, the National Union rejects the return of any of the Occupied Territories. It opposes the creation of a Palestinian state on territory between Israel and Jordan. Instead, it promotes active Jewish settlement of all the Occupied Territories. Read more.

Meretz-New Movement
Seats won: 3
Previous seats: 5

A newly created merger between Meretz, the most left-wing Zionist party, and the 'New Leftist Movement', the bloc favors a peace agreement with the Palestinians along the lines of the Geneva Initiative, which would allow Israel to retain control of its three largest West Bank settlement blocs and give Israel veto power over Palestinian refugees' right of return. Read more.

The Non-Zionist Parties

None of the non-Zionist parties - whose constituencies are largely Palestinian citizens of Israel - were courted by Netanyahu in his coalition talks, and would have been highly unlikely to join a right-wing government.

Hadash
Seats won: 4
Previous seats: 3

Hadash is a coalition of Arab and Jewish political groups based around the Communist Party. It stresses social justice and equality, as well as recognition and cultural integration of the Palestinian minority. Hadash also urges investment in schools, urban rehabilitation, government transparency, freedom of information, and environmental protection. Read more.

United Arab List-Ta'al
Seats won: 4
Previous seats: 4

The United Arab List-Ta'al calls for an end to the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, a halt to the expropriation of Palestinian land, equal rights for non-Jews in Israel, preservation and protection of Muslim religious sites, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Read more.

National Democratic Assembly (Balad)
Seats won: 3
Previous seats: 3

The National Democratic Assembly party ('Balad' is the Hebrew acronym) seeks to transform Israel into a democratic, secular state in which Christians, Muslims, and Jews enjoy equal rights. Balad aims to eliminate state institutions and laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens in Israel. Read more.