After 12 straight years in power Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also prime minister for an additional three years from 1996-99, appears set to lose his position after a rainbow coalition of rival political parties agreed to proposals for a new government that would see Netanyahu relegated to the opposition benches. After a tumultuous week of negotiations led by opposition leader Yair Lapid, a formal agreement was finally reached late Wednesday night. According to reports in The Guardian, Lapid called Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to announce the proposal. “I am honoured to inform you that I have succeeded in forming a government,” Lapid said. “I commit to you Mr President, that this government will work to serve all the citizens of Israel – including those who aren’t members of it – will respect those who oppose it, and do everything in its power to unite all parts of Israeli society.” The new ‘unity government’ would transform the Israeli political landscape that has been dominated by Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party for over a decade, and would end a dramatic two years of stalemate in the Knesset, with…
