Ending
Netanyahu's 12-year rule in Israel, parliament approves new coalition
government
Right-wing nationalist Naphtali Bennett has
been sworn in as the new prime minister and has led a change of government.
In his address, he vowed to unite the nation
in four elections in two years of political stalemate.
He said his government would work for all
people and its priorities would be education, health and reform.
"This is not a day of grief," said
Bennett, 49. In a democracy, change of government is enough.
"We will do what we can and no one needs
to feel intimidated," he said. And I tell those who are going to celebrate
tonight not to dance to the pain of the people. We are not enemies, we are not
one people. "
Naftali Bennett, who heads the Yamina party
in the power-sharing deal, will hold the post until September 2023, while power
will be handed over for another two years to Yair Lapid, the leader of the
centrist Yash Atid.
The new government, a coalition of different
parties, has a slim majority of just one seat.
On the other hand, Palestinian
representatives have rejected the new government.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas said: "This is an internal Israeli affair. Our position has always
been clear: what we want is a Palestinian state on the border in 1967 as the
capital of Jerusalem.
A spokesman for the Islamist group Hamas,
which controls Gaza, said it was an occupation and a colonial entity that we
must resist with forces to regain our rights.
The US president has sent a message of
congratulations to the Israeli prime minister and has vowed to continue working
with him.
On Sunday, Bennett thanked Mr. Netanyahu for
his years of service to Israel.
He said the new alliance would not allow Iran
to acquire nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu has been Israel's longest-serving
prime minister and has dominated the political horizon for years. Netanyahu
will remain the leader of the Likud party in the opposition.
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