Long the familiar face of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to the political sidelines after serving as prime minister for more than a decade.
But even as he battles in court against corruption charges that he denies, Mr Netanyahu, as opposition leader, will be poised to pounce on a new governing coalition of right-wing, centrist and Arab parties with little in common other than a desire to unseat him.
In a likely taste of things to come, a stern-looking Mr Netanyahu, 71, decried the creation of a "dangerous, left-wing government".
"Fraud of the century," he declared after fellow right-winger Naftali Bennett turned against him on Sunday and opted to align with centrist opposition chief Yair Lapid despite a public promise that he would not do so.
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Yair Lapid fell behind with 45 nominations in consultations with the president. AP -
Mr Netanyahu’s bloc could be boosted by the right-wing Yamina party, which nominated its leader Naftali Bennett for the premiership. Reuters -
Israeli Arab politician, leader of the United Arab list, Mansour Abbas, is seen as a potential kingmaker in resolving the impasse. AP -
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin voiced doubt that any candidate can forge a majority coalition. AFP -
Mr Netanyahu's fragile coalition with Benny Gantz collapsed in December. AP
Under a power-sharing deal that follows a March 23 election – Israel's fourth in two years – Mr Bennett, a former defence minister and a high-tech millionaire, will become prime minister.
He will later turn over the post to Mr Lapid, who once served as finance minister in a Netanyahu-led government.
The diverse composition of the Lapid-Bennett alliance could make it particularly unstable in a country so riven by political divisions that “do-over” elections have become the norm.
That means no one in Israel is ruling out a political comeback by Mr Netanyahu.
Already, the tone of his remarks has echoes of his closest international ally, former US president Donald Trump, now unseated but still commanding loyalty from supporters.
For Mr Netanyahu's grass-roots backers, known as Bibists, he remains a leader tough on security and a bulwark against pressure, even from Mr Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, for any bold steps that could lead to a Palestinian state.
From the opposition benches, Mr Netanyahu is likely to press on with a message that the new coalition will be hobbled by its left-wing members if military steps are needed against Israel's enemies.
Claiming the spotlight even as Mr Lapid was deep in negotiations on a change in government, a combative Mr Netanyahu seemed to pick a fight with Mr Biden on Tuesday over how to deal with Iran's nuclear programme, again hinting at the possibility of an Israeli attack.
“If we have to choose, I hope it doesn't happen, between friction with our great friend the United States and eliminating the existential threat – eliminating the existential threat wins,” Mr Netanyahu said in a speech.
Borrowed Time
The past few years have been rocky ones for Mr Netanyahu, whose stewardship of Israel's Covid-19 vaccine roll-out was not enough to halt his political decline.
A sense that he was living on borrowed time after 12 consecutive years in office was compounded by criminal charges over alleged favours to media tycoons and illegal receipt of expensive cigars and champagne.
Mr Netanyahu has denied all wrongdoing and says, without offering any evidence, that he is a victim of a deep state conspiracy against him.
Popularly known by his childhood nickname, Bibi, Mr Netanyahu is the son of a historian and attended high school and college in the United States, where his father taught.
Never lost for a soundbite, his booming baritone has resounded on the world stage since serving as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988.
Entering politics in Israel as a Likud legislator, he became party leader in 1993 and exerted hegemony for decades over Israeli politics.
The formation of the new government marked a rare defeat for Mr Netanyahu – the last time he and his wife Sara had to pack their bags and move out of the prime minister's residence was before the turn of the millennium.
