On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents announced they have reached a deal to form a new governing coalition, paving the way for the ouster of the longtime Israeli leader.

The announcement by opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, came shortly before a midnight deadline.  Under the agreement, Lapid and Bennett will split the job of prime minister in a rotation. Bennett will serve the first two years, while Lapid is to serve the final two years.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the Knesset, or parliament, in a vote early next week. If it goes through, Lapid and a diverse array of partners will end the 12-year rule of Netanyahu. Netanyahu, who is fighting corruption charges, is expected to do everything possible in the coming days to prevent the new coalition from taking power. If he fails, he will be pushed into the opposition.

Editorial credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

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