But amid the tension, there were also moments of unity and sympathy across party lines.
After Mr. Levine, the speaker was replaced in a separate vote by Mickey Levy, Mr. Lapid’s ally, the two cuddling for several seconds. Earlier, hard-line lawmakers laughed amicably with jokes by Merav Michaeli, a staunch secularist and critic of Netanyahu — just an hour after she hurled insults at Bennett, her new coalition partner.
Until On the day of the vote, and until the day of the vote, Mr. Netanyahu and his right-wing allies worked hard to break the alliance before he could take office. They put intense pressure on right-wing opposition MPs, urging them to distance themselves from their leaders and refusing to support an alliance they claimed would destroy the country. For much of this month, Netanyahu supporters have staged a sit-in at the homes of Mr. Bennett and his deputies, screaming abuse as they pass.
Netanyahu’s departure was a watershed moment for Israeli politics. He was in power for so long that he was the only prime minister many young people remember. For many, it became synonymous not only with the State of Israel, but also with the concept of Israeli security – and Israel without it seemed almost unimaginable to some.
In Tel Aviv, ecstatic opponents of Netanyahu descended on Rabin Square for an impromptu celebration. As the music erupted, Israelis of all ages thronged to carry the national flag, rainbow flags and pink flags, the color adopted by members of the movement to overthrow the prime minister.
Understanding developments in Israeli politics
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- The main characters. The main players in the recent shift in Israeli politics have very different agendas, but one common goal. Naftali Bennett, who leads a small right-wing party, and Yair Lapid, the centrist leader of the Israeli opposition, Join their forces to form a diverse coalition to oust Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
- set of proverbs. Widening the divided Israeli political spectrum from left to right, relying on the support of a small Arab Islamic party, the Alliance, nicknamed “change of governmentBy supporters, it likely represents a profound transformation for Israel.
- A common goal. After a grinding stalemate that led to four inconclusive elections in two years, a longer period of polarizing politics and government paralysis, the architects of the coalition have suffered. I vowed to get Israel back on the right track.
- Unclear future. Parliament still has to ratify the fragile agreement in a confidence vote in the coming days. But even if it does, it remains unclear how much change a “government of change” could bring to Israel because some of the parties involved have little in common besides hostility to Mr. Netanyahu.
One reveler, Cheval Sade, expressed relief that the alliance had come together after weeks of uncertainty.
“Today is final,” she said. “There is no secret magic to Bibi anymore. It is final.”
For supporters of Bibi, as Mr. Netanyahu is known globally in Israel, his exit has been devastating and troubling.
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