Benjamin Netanyahu Ousted, Naftali Bennett Is Israel's New PM

Naftali Bennett, a right-wing Jewish nationalist and former tech millionaire, was to take over at the helm of the eight-party bloc, united only by their shared disdain for the hawkish right-wing leader known as Bibi.

A motley alliance of Israeli parties on Sunday ousted Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, and formed a new government in a seismic shift in the country's turbulent politics. Naftali Bennett, a right-wing Jewish nationalist and former tech millionaire, was to take over at the helm of the eight-party bloc, united only by their shared disdain for the hawkish right-wing leader known as Bibi. Netanyahu, 71, in typically combative style, vowed shortly before his defeat that "if it's our destiny to be in the opposition, we'll do so with our heads high until we take down this bad government and return to lead the country our way". Beloved as "King Bibi" by his right-wing supporters and condemned as the "crime minister" by his critics, Netanyahu has long been the dominant, and increasingly divisive, figure in Israeli politics.