Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers Tuesday that he would work toward Mideast peace, warned of the threat of Iranian nuclear ambitions and vowed to bring abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit home.
"We will not let anyone question our right to exist," he told lawmakers gathered at the Knesset in Jerusalem for the swearing-in of the new coalition. "Israel can`t afford to treat statements against it light-heartedly."
In his address, Netanyahu called radical Islam and the Iranian regime major threats to regional security, but praised Islamic culture as "great and rich, with many branches in our people's history which has known periods which flourished for Arabs and Jews who lived together and created together."
He said that blocking the Iranian nuclear program was in the interest of both Israel and the Muslim world, adding that he hoped the region could work together "to block terrorism in every direction and fight it until the end."
"Israel has always, and today more than ever, strives to reach full peace with the entire Arab and Muslim world, and today that yearning is supported by a joint interest of Israel and the Arab states against the fanatical obstacle that threatens us all," he said.
Netanyahu did not explicitly endorse an independent Palestinian state while declaring his commitment to peace, but said: "We do not wish to rule another people. We do not want to rule the Palestinians... Under the permanent status agreement, the Palestinians will have all the authority necessary to rule themselves."
He also warned the Palestinian Authority that it must do its part to fight terror if it is serious about peace.
"I say to the Palestinian leadership that if you really want peace we can achieve peace," Netanyahu told a Knesset session interrupted by heckling from Arab and left-wing lawmakers.
He offered negotiations on "three parallel tracks, economic, security and diplomatic" with the Palestinian Authority.
Netanyahu also pledged to do whatever it takes to free abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been in Palestinian captivity since he was abducted in a 2006 cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.
The incoming premier promised that his government would "work to bolster national security and achieve personal security for Israel's citizens... maintain the Jewish character of the state and Jewish tradition, and also respect the religions and traditions of the country's ethnic communities."
Netanyahu thanked outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for his "devoted service" to the state, and promised to engage in peace talks with "sincerity and a clear mind."
Following his address, Netanyahu began to name the 30 new ministers and deputy ministers appointed to serve in the new government coalition, set to be voted in at the end of the ceremony.
