Israel Swears in Netanyahu-New Unity Government

Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads a new unity government sworn in on Sunday, is a veteran right-winger who has spent years outlasting his political opponents.

The 70-year-old is also the first premier in Israeli history to be indicted in office.

Naija News Understands that the ceremony comes after three elections in under a year – the last on March 2 – ended without a clear winner.

Gantz has said that the need for a stable Israeli government to tackle the coronavirus outbreak drove him to break his vow never to serve with Netanyahu.

According to deal between the two sides, Netanyahu may ask his cabinet or the Knesset as early as July 1 to vote on annexing West Bank land with Jewish settlements.

Netanyahu and his former rival yesterday hailed the end of an unprecedented one-and-a-half-year political crisis as they presented their long-awaited unity government.

“This is an important day for the state of Israel,” Netanyahu told the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, hours before he would be sworn in and start a fourth consecutive term in office, and one week before his corruption trial is set to start in a Jerusalem court.