The Israeli parliament has approved a new coalition government, thereby ending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year reign.
Israel’s parliament endorsed a new coalition government formed by right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennett on Sunday, ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year reign as prime minister.
Bennett was inaugurated in as prime minister after the Knesset accepted the new coalition government by a razor-thin margin of 60 votes to 59. Bennett is the leader of an ultranationalist party with six seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Bennett will lead an improbable coalition of left-wing, centrist, and right-wing parties, as well as a party representing Israel’s Palestinian inhabitants, who make up 20% of the population. Apart from a goal to depose Netanyahu, the parties have little in common.
Bennett will serve as prime minister for two years under a rotational deal, after which he would be replaced by centrist leader Yair Lapid, the new government’s key architect.
They intend to focus on domestic reforms rather than making broad changes on matters like policy toward Palestinians in the occupied territories. However, with little to no hope of resuming any kind of genuine peace talks, many Palestinians are unaffected by the administration change, claiming Bennett would likely pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, described the event as a “family feud”, saying that there are no ideological differences between the old and new prime minister.
“They are basically all belonging to the same right-wing Zionist family,” Bishara said, referring to Netanyahu and Bennett.
“The differences between them have been personal, vindictive,” he said.
Netanyahu, who was Prime Minister for 12 years, sat silently during the voting on Sunday. He stood up to leave the chamber when the new government was approved, then turned around and shook Bennett’s hand. A devastated Netanyahu sat in the opposition leader’s chair for a brief moment before storming out, wearing a black medical mask.
After Israel’s fourth election in two years on March 23, Netanyahu, the most powerful Israeli politician of his generation, was unable to form a government.
The 71-year-old is adored by his ardent admirers and despised by his detractors. His continuing corruption prosecution, which he denies, has widened the chasm even further.
He is still the leader of parliament’s largest party, and he is likely to actively oppose the new government. If just one component abandons the coalition, it risks losing its majority and collapsing, allowing Netanyahu to reclaim power.
Netanyahu’s critics have long chastised him for divisive language, shady political manoeuvring, and the subordination of state interests to his political survival.
The 71-year-old is adored by his ardent admirers and despised by his detractors. His continuing corruption prosecution, which he denies, has widened the chasm even further.
He is still the leader of parliament’s largest party, and he is likely to actively oppose the new government. If just one component abandons the coalition, it risks losing its majority and collapsing, allowing Netanyahu to reclaim power.
Netanyahu’s critics have long chastised him for divisive language, shady political manoeuvring, and the subordination of state interests to his political survival.
Bennett, a former settler leader and hard-right religious nationalist who has called for the annexation of most of the occupied West Bank, spoke to parliament ahead of the vote, highlighting the country’s significant differences.
Several supporters of Netanyahu were hauled out of the chamber after he was repeatedly interrupted and noisily heckled.Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from Jerusalem, said it was a very “disrupted … attempt to have a peaceful transition of power”.
Bennett’s attempt to deliver his speech with what was supposed to be conciliatory words to Netanyahu was “immediately interrupted by catcalls of all sorts of oppositional natures from members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc”, Fawcett said.
Bennett’s speech mostly dwelled on domestic issues, but he expressed opposition to efforts by the United States to revive Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
“Israel will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” Bennett said, vowing to maintain Netanyahu’s confrontational policy. “Israel will not be a party to the agreement and will continue to preserve full freedom of action.”
Bennett nevertheless thanked President Joe Biden and the US for its decades of support for Israel.Following him, Netanyahu promised to return to power and predicted that the next government will be weak on Iran and give in to US demands for Palestinian concessions.
“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,” he said.
