Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year hold on power was set to end on Sunday when parliament votes on a new government, ushering in an administration that has pledged to heal a nation bitterly divided over the departure of the country's longest serving leader. Bennett, a hawkish hi-tech millionaire, will serve as premier for two years before Lapid, a former popular TV host, takes over. Serving in his first term as prime minister in the 1990s and since 2009 winning four more terms in succession, he has been a polarizing figure, both abroad and at home. Often referred to by his nickname Bibi, Netanyahu is loved by his hard-core supporters and loathed by critics. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands with U.S. President Donald Trump after signing the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and some of its Middle East neighbors, in 2020.

Source: CBC News June 13, 2021 05:15 UTC