Israel’s 36th government was sworn in Sunday evening, in an historic vote, with Yamina leader Naftali Bennett becoming the country’s new prime minister. The Knesset thus ended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-years in office, following four inconclusive general elections in the past two and a half years. 60 Knesset members voted in favor of the new cabinet, with 59 voting against it, confirming the first-ever government to officially include an Arab party (Ra’am). Ra’am lawmaker Saeed Alharomi abstained from the vote.
Immediately after the vote of confidence, members of Netanyahu’s government vacated the seats on the government table in the parliament’s plenum, with Netanyahu leaving his chair, to be replaced by Bennett.
