Naftali Bennett sworn in as Israel's new Prime Minister, ending Netanyahu's 12-year rule

Israel has a new prime minister for the first time in more than a decade. Naftali Bennett was sworn in on Sunday after a new coalition unseated longtime Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

The newly elected prime minister was appointed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in a 60-59 vote, with one minister abstaining.

Sometime after the vote, former Prime Minister Netanyahu approached Bennett, and the two shook hands. Not long after that, he took to Twitter, instructing his supporters to hold their heads high and keep the faith, vowing to return.

US President Joe Biden released a statement congratulating Bennett as well as the new Israeli government. "Israel has no better friend than the United States. The bond that unites our people is evidence of our shared values and decades of close cooperation. As we continue to strengthen our partnership, the United States remains unwavering in its support for Israel's security." 

"I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ties between our two nations," Bennett responded on social media. 

The Palestinian Authority Foreign Ministry in Ramallah said it expected to see "no difference, or perhaps even worse" policies under the new Israeli government. In Gaza, Hamas said Israel continues to be "a settler occupier entity that must be resisted by all forms of resistance, foremost of which is the armed resistance."

Netanyahu, 71, was first elected prime minister in the late 1990s and then again in 2009. Over the last 12 years, he has used his time in office to grow Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, frustrated Palestinian aspirations for statehood and aligned Israel with right-wing leaders internationally.