Following the swearing-in of the new, so-called "pro-change" government, Sunday, rabbis aligned with the religious Zionism movement gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City to "pray and cry out, out of fear the government will harm the state's Jewish character."
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Among the prominent religious figures in attendance were Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi David Chai Hacohen, Rabbi Tzvi Kustiner, Rabbi David Dudkevich, Rabbi David Turgeman, Rabbi Chaim Steiner, and Rabbi Elizerer Sadan.
In a statement, organizers of the event said they were "praying God does not give them [coalition members] the option of carrying out their wicked plan to weaken Judaism in the country and the settlements so that He does not give them the power to harm" kashrut, conversions, the sanctity of the family, the sanctity of the people of Israel, and Shabbat, "so that he doesn't let them abandon the Land of Israel to the Arab takeover."
Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday evening, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid were sworn in after a special Knesset session approved their new government in a narrow vote of 60:59.
The vote came mere hours after Netanyahu told the Knesset plenum, "If it is destined for us to be in the opposition, we will do it with our backs straight until we topple this dangerous government and return to lead the country in our way."
Earlier, Bennett was greeted by jeers and cries of protest as he approached the Knesset plenum podium on Sunday afternoon to present the basic policies of his unity government.
Bereaved parents also spoke out against Bennett and his decision to join a government that includes left-wing parties.
Meirav Hajaj, the mother of the late Lt. Shir Hajaj, who was murdered in a car-ramming attack at the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem in 2017, was one of a number of bereaved parents to protest the new government outside the Knesset.
"I supported Bennett. If he wanted to turn [Ra'am party leader Mansour] Abbas into a Care Bear, he should have done it before the elections and not after.
"They plan to transfer money to supporters of terrorism. This is a terrorist government. Bennett lied to us," she said.
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