Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday evening, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid were sworn in after a special Knesset session approved their new government in a vote of 60:59.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The vote took palce after the Knesset elected Yesh Atid MK Mickey Levy new Knesset speaker with a majority of 67 votes. Levy takes over for Yariv Levin (Likud).
Levy declined to give a speech, and merely thanked his fellow MKs warmly for the honor. Immediately after he was declared Knesset speaker, he began voting for the Bennett-Lapid government. MKs were casting ballots according to party lines, with Ta'al leader MK Ahmad Tibi absenting himself from the vote. Yamina MK Amichai Chikri kept his promise to vote "nay."
Live coverage of the event showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Bennett, and Lapid moving his personal items from the space allocated to the Opposition leader to the other side of the plenum.
Shortly after 9 p.m. Levy congratulated Bennett on his victory and called on members of the new government to take the oath of office, in alphabetical order.
The vote comes mere hours after Netanyahu told the Knesset plenum, "If it is destined for us to be in the opposition, we will do it with our backs straight until we topple this dangerous government and return to lead the country in our way."
Earlier, Bennett was greeted by jeers and cries of protest as he approached the Knesset plenum podium on Sunday afternoon to present the basic policies of his unity government.
Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin ordered a number of disruptive MKs to be removed from the plenum. Levin chastised several MKs, including Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Regional Cooperation Minister Ofier Akunis, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, MK Mai Golan, MK Dudi Amsalam, and MK Yitzhak Pindrus by name after they continued to heckle Bennett. Most of the hecklers were from the Likud and Haredi parties.
Despite multiple interruptions, Bennett began his speech by congratulating Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, for their support "for the people." Bennett also expressed "deep appreciation" for the 10th president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, whom he called a "devoted public servant," and welcomed president-elect Isaac Herzog to the role.
"God willing, we will work together," Bennett said, referring to Herzog.
"The burdern of leadership is being passed like a baton in a relay race to the next generation," Bennett said.
As the disruptions continued, Bennett responded, "The Jews, as we are seeing here in the plenum, are a people of opinions."
"The dispute has gotten out of control," Bennett continued.
Bennett thanked Foreign Minister-designate Yair Lapid for demonstrating "national responsibility."
The new government is here to work, to remove obstacles, and will seek "practical solutions," Bennett told the plenum, as Levin continued to have more Knesset members removed from the premises.
"We will take responsibility for the education of the country's children, starting with early childhood education, the most formative period of a child's life," Bennett said.
"I would like to thank US President Joe Biden, on behalf of the Jewish people, for standing strong beside Israel during the latest fighting in Gaza, and for his strong support of Israel throughout the years," Bennett said.
"Let's try to maintain a respectful dialogue," Bennett told the unruly plenum. "There is a transfer of power. We will do everything possible to ensure that no one need be afraid," he said, urging supporters of the new government to refrain from displays of "schadenfreude" during their celebrations.
Bennett said that Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who is tapped to take over the Finance Ministry, will work to rehabilitate the Israeli economy after the damage caused by the COVID pandemic. At the mention of Lieberman's name, the hecking grew louder.
Bennett promised that the new government would open the kashruth certification process to competition, benefitting restaurant owners and lowering food costs.
The new government will promote an economic plan for northern Israel, including new hospitals, Bennett said, and would invest in new and cutting-edge defense and security infrastructure. Labor leader Merav Michaeli, he said, would lead a program to improve Israel's public transportation, without causing "needless disputes."
Bennett said that the new government would see a new chapter in the government's approach to the Arab sector, a move he credited outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with starting. He promised a fight on crime, improved housing, and said that the new coalition would tackle the issue of illegal Bedouin construction in the Negev.
The new government will rebuild the healthcare system under Health Minister-designate Nitzan Horowitz, Bennett said, and instate an emergency plan to handle future pandemics.
In addition, the new government will work to promote aliyah as well as strengthen Diaspora Jewish communities and battle antisemitism, Bennett declared. "We will work for everyone," he promised.
"We will work to address deep-seated problems that keep the Haredi sector from integrating into society, including housing," Bennett said, saying that the new government would take care to ensure that new construction kept up with the high Haredi birth rate, and said those plans included the construction of a new Haredi city.
"Israel will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons," Bennett said.
Touching on the Palestinians, Bennett said that the Palestinians needed to "take responsibility," but pointed out that if they reined in terrorism, they would see massive economic benefits.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
Bennett listed the portfolio division in the new government: Lapid (Foreign Affairs), Blue and White leader Benny Gantz (Defense), Ayelet Shaked (Interior), Labor leader Merav Michaeli (transportation), New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar (Justice), Yisrael Beytenu's Avigdor Lieberman (Finance), Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz (Health), Omer Bar-Lev (Public Security), Yoaz Hendel (Communications), Yifat Shasha-Biton (Education), Tamar Zandberg (Environmental Protection), Orna Barbivay (Economy), Karine Elharrar (Energy), Esawi Frej (Regional Cooperation), Matan Kahana (Religious Services), Pnina Tamano-Shata (Aliyah and Integration) Oded Forer (Agriculture, Periphery Development), Hili Tropper (Culture and Sports), Elazar Stern (Intelligence Services), Yoel Razvozov (Tourism), Ze'ev Elkin (Housing, Jerusalem Affairs), Nachman Shai (Diaspora Affairs), Orit Farkash-Hacohen (Science), Meir Cohen (Welfare and Social Services), and Meirav Cohen (Social Equality).
Yesh Atid head Lapid, who is slated to serve as the prime minister-designate as part of a power-sharing deal with Bennett, said that his mother, who was born before the state of Israel was established, would be "ashamed" of the behavior of the MKs who deliberately interrupted Bennett's speech.
"I hoped you would get over yourselves," Lapid told the plenum. "I'm ashamed of you, and also reminded why it's time to replace you," he said.
Speaking after Bennett and Lapid, Netanyahu addressed the plenum, and his speech was not one of reconciliation.
"I am standing here in the name of millions of citizens who voted to stand upright, not bow down. I stand here as elected public official. A million people voted for Likud, under me, and a million more voted for other right-wing parties to join the government with me as leader," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said that after serving as a fighter and commander in the IDF's elite Sayeret Matkal unit, who was wounded during the Sabena hostage rescue mission, he continued "to fulfill the great mission of my life, ensure the prosperity and security of Israel, he had the privilege of working "day and night for our beloved country" as prime minister.
"With my friends in the Likud, my partners on the Right, we made Israel into a world power, in many senses, a superpower. We did so by standing strong. We developed our power, technology, defense. This led Israel to enormous achievements," he said.
"We made Israel into a free economy, one of richest in the world, with a per capita GDP per equal to European nations," Netanyahu told the plenum.
Netanyahu said that Israel, under his leadership, had "stood strong" against Iran, and often done so alone in the world. He said that during his term as prime minister, Israel had developed "special relations" with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, which guaranteed the Israeli Air Force freedom of action to operate against Iranian targets in Syria.
Netanyahu said, "Bennett always does the opposite of what he says he'll do," hinting that if Bennett said he woud take firm action against Iran, he would not.
Levin cut in and apologized to Netanyahu for interrupting his speech, but needed to because a number of the MKs and minister who had been ordered to leave the plenum were refusing to do so.
After he resumed his speech, Netanyahu did not pull his punches and said, "Naftali Bennett does not have the international standing needed" to stand up to Iran and pressure from the US administration.
Iran understands that from today, Israel has a "weak and ineffectual government that will act according to the dictates of the international community," Netanyahu added.
"Iran aside, Israel's major challenge is to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," Netanyahu said, adding that the new government would not refuse to allow the Palestinian Authority to establish a capital in Jerusalem under any future peace deal.
Touching on the results of the March 23 election, Netanyahu said while the vote count had been "kosher," the way the votes were received was not. "Bennett duped millions of right-wing voters," he said, calling Bennett and the other right-wing faction leaders who joined the new government "fake Right."
"The majority of the public wants me as prime minister," Netanyahu said, adding that Bennett and other coalition partners were "so afraid" that they were willing to pass "laws in the style of Iran and North Korea."
Meanwhile, according to Israeli media, Netanyahu and his family will be allowed to extend their stay at the prime minister's official residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem for several more weeks, with no official rule setting a deadline for leaving the premises.
However, the legal counsel at the Prime Minister's Office said over the weekend that starting on Sunday evening, the state would no longer carry the Netanyahu family's expenses.
Bennett, for his part, indicated that he was not currently considering leaving his home in Raanana to move into Balfour full-time.
