JERUSALEM • The long and divisive reign of Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, the dominant Israeli politician of the past generation, officially ended on Sunday night, at least for the time being, as the country's Parliament gave its vote of confidence to a precarious coalition government stitched together by widely disparate anti-Netanyahu forces.
Mr Naftali Bennett, a 49-year-old former aide to Mr Netanyahu who opposes a Palestinian state, replaced him as prime minister after winning by just a single vote. Mr Yair Lapid, a centrist leader and the new foreign minister, is set to take Mr Bennett's place after two years, if their government can hold together that long.
They lead a fragile eight-party alliance ranging from far left to hard right, from secular to religious, that few expect to last a full term and many consider both the embodiment of the rich diversity of Israeli society but also the epitome of its political disarray.
Members of the bloc agree on little but a desire to oust Mr Netanyahu, 71, the longest-serving leader in Israel's history, and the need to end a lengthy political gridlock that produced four elections in two years; left the country without a stable government or a state budget; and formed the backdrop to a surge in inter-ethnic mob violence between Jewish and Arab citizens during the recent 11-day conflict with Hamas.
"We stopped the train before the abyss," Mr Bennett said in Parliament on Sunday. "The time has come for different leaders, from all parts of the people, to stop - to stop this madness."
Mr Netanyahu's departure marks the end of a tenure in which he shaped 21st-century Israel more than any other figure, and largely turned Israeli politics into a referendum on a single issue - his own character.
During 15 years in power, the last 12 of them uninterrupted, Mr Netanyahu helped shift Israel further to the right and presided over the dwindling of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, collapsing hopes of a two-state resolution to the conflict. He was also accused of undermining the rule of law by staying in office while standing trial for corruption. It was a decision that divided the Israeli right and contributed to Mr Bennett's decision to side with Mr Netanyahu's opponents.
In a combative speech to Parliament on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu vowed to stay at the helm of his Likud party, leading opposition to a new government he portrayed as a leftist threat to Israeli security.
"I say today, do not let your spirits fall," Mr Netanyahu told his allies in Parliament. "I will lead you in a daily battle against this bad and dangerous left-wing government, and bring it down."
Parliament approved the new government by the slimmest of margins - the vote was 60-59.
Analysts predict that the new government will focus on restoring Israel's traditional approach of seeking bipartisan American support, after years of tension with Democrats in the US.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement: "I look forward to working with Prime Minister Bennett to strengthen all aspects of the close and enduring relationship between our two nations."
Mr Bennett replied on Twitter: "I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ties between our two nations."
But in his earlier speech to Parliament, Mr Bennett hinted at disagreements to come, promising to continue Israel's opposition to forging a new nuclear deal with Iran, although he also thanked Mr Biden for his support for Israel.
The coalition proposes to set aside some of the toughest issues and focus on rebuilding the economy. Many supporters hope to see movement away from the social policies promoted by the ultra-Orthodox minority, whose parties were allied with Mr Netanyahu. But it remains to be seen whether the new government will avoid another gridlock or crumble under its own contradictions.
NYTIMES
