Its a wrap: Timeline of Israel’s political transition

Israel is standing at the doorstep of a new political future as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s removal is expected soon. The news came after opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Wednesday that he has reached agreements to form coalitions, which will in turn help form a new Israeli government.

The process, which has been going on for years, has had a bumpy ride and was even interrupted by the recent conflict between Israel and Gaza authorities. Here is the timeline of events:

March 23, 2021: Israel’s fourth consecutive no-outcome elections were conducted with no definitive winner securing a majority. However, Netanyahu came in first while Yair Lapid‘s centrist party stood second, reported Reuters.

April 6, 2021: PM Netanyahu has been given a deadline of 28 days to form a legitimate government by the Israeli president. Netanyahu fails.

May 5, 2021: Lapid is given a chance to form a government in Israel by the president. He is tasked to bring together political parties from all sides of the political spectrum to make it happen.

May 10, 2021: The coalition negotiations are halted as Israel and Hamas engage in an 11-day conflict, which claims lives on both sides of the borders, reported Reuters.

May 30, 2021: Days after a ceasefire is announced between Israel and Gaza militant groups, Bennett’s Yamina‘s party joins hands with Lapid in order to ensure Netanyahu is removed.

June 2, 2021: Just minutes before Lapid’s deadline was set to expire, he informed the president that a coalition had successfully fulfilled the majority criteria, reported Reuters.

A new government is expected to be put in charge of Israel in mid-June after 12 years under PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the longest-serving leader of the country.