Live Streaming
Program Highlight
Company Profile
Israel's Knesset to vote on new government, end Netanyahu's record reign
Written by nuke
-
font size
decrease font size
increase font size
Protesters take part in a weekly demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on potentially the last day of his premiership, near his official residence in Jerusalem Jun12, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year hold on power was set to end on Sunday (Jun 13) when parliament votes on a new government, ushering in an administration that has pledged to heal a nation bitterly divided over the departure of the country's longest serving leader.
Netanyahu, 71, the most dominant Israeli politician of his generation, had failed to form a government after Israel's March 23 election, its fourth in two years. The new cabinet, which will be sworn in after a Knesset confidence vote it is expected to win, was cobbled together by the centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid and ultra-nationalist Naftali Bennett.
With little to no prospect of progress toward resolving the decades-long conflict with Israel, many Palestinians will be unmoved by the change of administration, saying Bennett will likely pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu.
On top of that, their patchwork coalition of parties commands only a razor-thin majority in parliament, 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats, and will still have to contend with Netanyahu - who is sure to be a combative head of the opposition.
And no one is ruling out a Netanyahu comeback//CNA
