News
What’s on Naftali Bennett’s to-do list as Israel’s new PM
Naftali Bennett is officially Israel’s new Prime Minister
The leader of the right-wing Yamina party was sworn in as the new Israeli prime minister on Sunday night, sending Benjamin Netanyahu out after his 12-year ruling.
This came after the new coalition government, headed by Bennett and Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, was approved by the parliament in a vote of confidence.
In the vote of confidence held in the parliament, 60 lawmakers of the 120-member chamber voted in favor of the new government while 59 voted against.
Israeli politician Naftali Bennett, leader of the right wing ‘New Right’ party, greets his supporters after first exit poll results for the Israeli Parliamentary election at his party’s headquarters in Petah Tikva, Israel, Wednesday, March. 24, 2021. Bennett’s Yamina emerged as a possible kingmaker according to exit polls. Bennett has not committed to either the pro-Netanyahu or anti-Netanyahu camps, meaning he could play a key role in choosing the next prime minister. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Footage from inside parliament depicted Bennett and Lapid taking their new seats in the coalition area in the parliament, while Netanyahu moved to the back seats of the opposition.
At the same time, the 27 new ministers of the new governing coalition were also sworn in.
Political experts say the forming of the new coalition government has ended a political crisis in Israel, which has seen four elections in two years.
Netanyahu, aged 71, has been the most dominant figure in the Israeli political scene in recent decades.
