Israel swears in new government

The Israeli parliament approved a new coalition government Sunday after a narrow vote, ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run as prime minister. Naftali Bennett, leader of a small ultranationalist party, became Israel’s new leader after the 60-59 vote. Netanyahu remains the head of the largest party in parliament.

What comes next? Under a power-sharing deal, Bennett would hand over power to centrist Yair Lapid after two years. The coalition—made up of eight parties, including a small Islamist faction—are united in their opposition to Netanyahu but agree on little else. They will likely pursue a modest agenda focused on retaining good relations with the United States and easing tensions with the Palestinians. President Joe Biden congratulated Bennett in a phone call and planned to work with the new government on advancing peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, the White House said.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report on Israel’s fragile ceasefire.