Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., April 03, 2009 Nisan 9, 5769 | | Israel Time: 04:01 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 16:15 01/04/2009
Netanyahu: Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work
By Haaretz Service and Reuters
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday at a coalition hand-over ceremony at the President's Residence that his government needed to roll up its sleeves and begin work immediately.

Netanyahu said he plans to seek counsel from his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, to whom he referred as an open, attentive person, and one of the most polite, talented people in politics.

"My disagreements with Olmert were accompanied by mutual respect," the new prime minister said.
Advertisement
Also on hand were all 30 ministers, sworn into their posts in a six-hour ceremony at the Knesset on Tuesday, as well as Reuven Rivlin, who returns to his former post of Knesset speaker.

Olmert, delivering his last speech as prime minister, said the job is difficult and demanding, and admitted that he had failed to achieve his major goal of peace.

"I failed to achieve my dream of reaching peace with our neighbors," Olmert said. "I'm not ashamed to admit my mistakes, and I'm sorry for them."

Olmert said he believes it is possible to reach a peace agreement with Syria and the Palestinians, and that he ends his tenure as prime minister with pride and satisfaction.

"I was not fortunate to fulfill my dream and achieve a real peace with our neighbors," Olmert said. "We talked about things [in the negotiations] that we never dared talk about in the past. We made great progress but the work has not yet concluded."

He said quiet had been restored to the north thanks to the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and said he was privileged to oversee great gains by the Israeli economy.

Olmert also reflected on the tougher aspects of his job, saying the prisoner swap with Hezbollah in 2008 had been one of the most difficult moments of his tenure. He said he felt the pain of the family of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held for three years in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.

Olmert said Netanyahu's success is the success of all Israel, and that he hoped Netanyahu would use wisdom and consideration in all his decisions.

Speaking after Olmert and Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres recalled that he had also held the position of prime minister. He praised both men, saying that Olmert had met the most serious challenges and had done Israel a great service.

He said the Olmert government had strengthened Israel's international standing, formed close ties with the United States and world leaders and yielded great strategic achievements in defense.

Peres said he valued Netanyahu's efforts to forge a wide coalition, saying the new government has a majority and is legitimate, but urged the new government to make a "supreme effort" to advance the peace process.

"The outgoing government adopted the vision of two states for two peoples, promoted by the U.S. administration and accepted by a majority of countries in the world," Peres said.

"Your government must determine the shape of the coming reality," he said, stopping short of an explicit call for Netanyahu to declare support for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Peres also called on Netanyahu to tend to the economy and prevent layoffs in the face of the world economic crisis.

During his speech at the Knesset Tuesday, Netanyahu said his government was formed to deal with two of Israel's biggest challenges ever: defense - including Iran's nuclear program - and the economic slowdown.

Following the ceremony on Wednesday, opposition chairwoman MK Tzipi Livni (Kadima) said that she is intent on "supporting what is right and attacking what is not."

Silvan Shalom, who accepted Netanyahu's offer to become minister responsible for the Negev and the Galilee, said that "he wishes the new government success and hopes that it will act quickly."

"There is much to do," Shalom said. "The waiting period [between the elections and the formation of the government] was too long. We need to act immediately and to see whether there is a diplomatic horizon with the Arabs and the Muslims."

Meanwhile, Netanyahu on Wednesday cemented a coalition agreement with another religious party, United Torah Judaism.

Under the terms of the agreement, UTJ lawmaker Moshe Gafni will become the chairman of the powerful Knesset Finance Committee.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Israel's new policy
FM Lieberman: Israel not bound by Annapolis commitment for Palestinian state.
Netanyahu's cabinet:
An introduction to the faces - some old and some new - who make up Israel's new coalition.
  1.   superb headline 11:45  |  israeli-american 01/04/09
  2.   israeli-american # 1 13:07  |  The Teacher/Instruct 01/04/09
  3.   Surely Netanyahoo means 14:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/04/09
  4.   #1 Thing To Do 14:16  |  Yosemite 01/04/09
  5.   #2 Thing To Do 14:18  |  Yosemite 01/04/09
  6.   Hopefully the new Government will do a good job 14:20  |  Brian Justin Roffman 01/04/09
  7.   Really a Government or April`s Fool 15:06  |  Free_Thinker 01/04/09
  8.   Drat! 15:46  |  Jim 01/04/09
  9.   PRAISE G-D BIBI IS BACK 16:15  |  Paula Tilley 01/04/09
  10.   Livni needs to stop talking 16:15  |  Israeltalk 01/04/09
  11.   Ooooo that will hurt 16:15  |  Mark Lincoln 01/04/09
  12.   olmert 17:36  |  p.g. 01/04/09
  13.   It`s time to tell the Divided Nations:when there are no bombs 19:02  |  glenna 01/04/09
  14.   Netanyahu 20:48  |  Howard 01/04/09
  15.   Bibi is the man! 20:54  |  4:20 01/04/09
  16.   Netanyahu Let`s roll our sleeves 01:01  |  Ed 02/04/09
  17.   Bibi is back 01:52  |  Brian Justin Roffman 03/04/09
  18.   Bibi is back 01:53  |  Brian Justin Roffman 03/04/09
  19.   Bibi Round 2 01:59  |  Brian Justin Roffman 03/04/09
 Haaretz Hot Topics
Air strike in Sudan
Israel 2009 election results: Voter breakdown
Conflict in Gaza
Israel vs. Hamas
Iran: Nuclear and regional ambitions
More Headlines
01:02 Israel fears extremists will try to avenge Bat Ayin axe-murder
02:45 ANALYSIS / Bat Ayin attack plays into new government's hands
02:09 Olmert: Annapolis bolstered global recognition of Israel
20:15 Jailed father of terror victim won't visit son in hospital
22:16 WATCH: U.S. pro-Israel lobby wages anti-Lieberman campaign
01:53 Arab League: Lieberman changes Israel`s tone, not policy
02:58 Haaretz exclusive: The man who bribed Indians for Israeli arms sales
11:13 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
03:38 Zeev Sternhell / Why is there no Zionist left worthy of the name?
03:37 Int'l Tennis Federation fines Sweden over banning fans from Israel match
18:27 Spanish prosecution: Freeze war crimes probe against Israeli officials
22:37 Tel Aviv kicks off centennial celebrations in retro-style
12:15 Lieberman to Haaretz: Israel ready for mutual peace moves
10:19 Barcodes the latest weapon in the fight to keep Passover kosher
11:13 Assad: By war or peace, we will liberate the Golan
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
Spring Specials-Dan Hotels
Jerusalem from 179$. Tel-Aviv from 223$. Herzliya from 336$
Dead Sea Skin Care
Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
Camp Kimama Israel 2009
The best place for your children this summer
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Jewish Singles Personal Ads
Find the love of your life on JDate.com
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results
Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved