(Dan Tri) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to leave office on June 13, ending 12 years in power after the Israeli parliament approved a new coalition government headed by Mr. Naftali Bennett.
New Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (Photo: EPA).
Guardian reported that on the afternoon of June 13 local time (this morning June 14 Vietnam time), Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett was sworn in as the 13th prime minister of Israel.
Mr. Bennett was sworn in after the Israeli parliament voted to trust the new coalition government formed by Mr. Naftali Bennett with 60 votes in favor and 59 votes against.
After four elections within two years, the birth of a new coalition government has broken the long-standing political deadlock in Israel.
Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to leave office (Photo: Getty).
Mr. Netanyahu, 71 years old, became Israel’s prime minister in 2009 after his first term from 1996 to 1999. His power has declined significantly in the past two years after failing to win an overwhelming victory.
Because Mr. Netanyahu could not form a coalition government after the March election, this opportunity was given to the leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party, Mr. Yair Lapid.
Earlier this month, Mr. Lapid announced that he had reached an agreement to form a new coalition government that includes Mr. Naftali Bennett’s right-wing Yamina party and the centrist party of Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
According to the agreement to form a coalition government, Mr. Bennett, 49, a technology millionaire, will be prime minister for the first two years, while Mr. Lapid, 57, will be prime minister for the next two years.
Observers say that, if the new government is officially sworn in, it will face many difficulties and challenges in terms of security, diplomacy and economics, not to mention the internal conflicts between parties in the coalition.
Immediately after the Israeli parliament announced the voting results, US President Joe Biden congratulated Mr. Bennett and Lapid as well as the new Israeli coalition government, expressing hope to further strengthen the relationship between the two.
In Israel, according to AFP, thousands of people in Tel Aviv poured into the streets to cheer and celebrate when Mr. Bennett was sworn into office.
Meanwhile, Mr. Netanyahu said that the new coalition government was `weak`, `dangerous`, and declared: `We will be back soon`.
