Netanyahu foes push for quick vote to end his 12-year rule

New phase of political warfare begins just hours after opposition leaders announced a coalition government deal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents are pushing for a quick vote to end his record-setting rule, racing to head off what is expected to be a frantic push by the premier and his allies to derail the newly announced coalition. The new phase of political warfare began just hours after opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner Naftali Bennett – an ideological odd couple – declared late on Wednesday night that they had reached a deal to form a new government. The announcement triggered a complex process likely to stretch over the next week, giving Netanyahu time to try to pressure coalition members ideologically aligned with him to quit the group.