Israel parliament approves Netanyahu govt
Updated at: 2137 PST, Thursday, April 02, 2009

JERUSALEM: Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israeli prime minister, pledging to seek peace with the Palestinians amid international concern his largely right-wing cabinet could bury negotiations.

Parliament approved by a 69-45 vote Netanyahu's coalition, which includes his right-wing Likud, the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, ultra-Orthodox Shas and a small religious faction as well as the centre-left Labour party.

Netanyahu, 59, was then sworn in, followed by the 29 other ministers in his cabinet, the largest in Israel's 61-year history.In his address to the Knesset, the 120-seat parliament, Netanyahu told MPs the biggest threat Israel faced was the possibility of "a radical regime armed with nuclear weapons" -- a clear reference to arch-foe Iran.

But the hawkish Likud leader said peace with the Palestinians was possible, while making no mention of a future Palestinian state."I am telling the leaders of the Palestinian Authority -- if you really want peace, it is possible to reach peace," he said. "We will carry out peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority with a view to reaching a final accord.But he added that Palestinians "must fight against terrorism" if they want peace.

The Palestinian Authority said Netanyahu's statements "mark a start that is not encouraging.""The American administration should pressure the Netanyahu government to stick to the fundamentals of the peace process, in other words land for peace."This means the restitution of all the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem," said Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's spokesman.