’Israeli’ Knesset to Announce New Gov’t

The announcement underscored a growing sense of optimism among the so-called "change bloc," headed by Lapid and ‘Yamina’ leader Naftali Bennett, that the ideologically motley coalition aiming to unseat the entity’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is headed for success. 

Netanyahu, “Israel's” longest-serving prime minister, has upped his efforts to splinter the bloc, which in addition to ‘Yamina’ and ‘Yesh Atid’ also includes the Labor party, the Meretz party, and the centrist ‘Blue and White’ party of War Minister Benny Gantz, as well as ‘Ra'am’. 

Meanwhile, Bennett said he was confident that all of ‘Yamina's’ seven elected parliamentarians would vote to confirm the government.

‘Yesh Atid’ were understood to be apprehensive regarding Levin, a senior Likud member known to be a close ally of Netanyahu, fearing he could delay the confirmation of the coalition after Lapid made it known that his first motion would be to replace him as speaker. 

However, after the announcement sources close to both Lapid and Bennett said they expected "no more defectors" from the "change bloc."