On 23 March 2021 Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party won more Israeli Parliament (also known as the Knesset) seats (30) than any other party. The Yesh Atid partv, led by Yair Lapid, came in second (17).  Following consultations with all of the 13 parties winning seats in the Knesset Israel’s President, Reuvin Rivlin, invited incumbent Prime Minister Netanyahu to put together a coalition government, within the constitutional time limit of one month.  

Netanyahu tried hard, and received the support of a number of religious parties on the right, but fell just short of the 52 votes he would need to win a confidence vote.

President Rivlin turned to the head of the party that had come second, Yair Lapid, to try his hand at forming a coalition.  Against the odds he succeeded, assembling an extraordinary array of parties under joint leadership, with Naftali Bennet (Yamina party – 7 seats) taking a first turn as Prime Minister. After two years, if the coalition survives that long, Yair Lapid will replace him as Prime Minister.

New government is formed

On June 13, the 36th Government of Israel, headed by Naftali Bennett, was approved in the Knesset, by way of a confidence vote with 60 Knesset members supporting and 59 – led by the new Leader of the Opposition Benjamin Netanyahu – opposing.   Prime Minister’s Netanyahu’s record 12 years in office had come to an end. 

The coalition

The new coalition Government brings together eight parties from across the political spectrum - from the far-left to the far-right. It is the most diverse coalition government in Israel’s history. For the first time ever Arab Knesset members –four members of the Ra’am Party - will join a government coalition. It remains to be seen whether the unlikely make up of this new government will mark a shift away from the right-wing policies pursued by Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Leadership of the new government will be joint and shared as follows:  

Naftali Bennet (Yamina Party) will serve as Prime Minister until 2023. Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid Party) currently Foreign Minister, will succeed Bennet for the remaining 2 years  of the Government’s four year term.    

Mansour Abbas (United Arab List Party) is Deputy Prime Minister. This is the first time the Party has participated in government. 

There are 25 Ministers in Government. These include:

Gideon Sa’ar (New Hope Party) is Justice Minister. His role will be to oversee the Israeli legal system and serve as a member of the Security Cabinet.  

Benny Gantz (Blue and White Party) continues in post as Defence Minister. 

Avigor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu Party) is Finance Minister and will be challenged to cut back on the country’s expenditures.  

Ze’ev Elkin (New Hope Party) is Minister of Housing and Construction and Minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage. He also serves as the Liaison between the Knesset and the Government. 

Ayelet Shaked (Yamina Party) is Interior Minister  

Both Ayalet and Ze’ev will have significant influence over East Jerusalemite residency rights and status including family unification and child registration. 

Esawi Frej (Meretz Party) is Minister of Regional Cooperation 

Merav Cohen (Yesh Atid Party) is Minister of Social Equality 

 Meir Cohen (Blue and White Party) is Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Social Welfare 

Omer Barlev (Israeli Labour Party) is Minister of Internal Security 

Israel also has  a new President

On June 2 Isaac Herzog,  former leader of Israel’s Labour Party, was voted by Knesset members to succeed Reuven Rivlin as President of Israel when Rivlin comes to the end of his seven year term, on 9 July.  Herzog, who becomes the 11th President of Israel, won the backing of a record 87 votes.