Benjamin Netanyahu secures 5th term as Israeli Prime Minister

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won the Israeli national election, securing a record fifth term in office, after a controversial power-sharing deal with rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz. President Reuven Rivlin officially granted Netanyahu, two-week mandate to form his government, following which, Netanyahu announced the formation of his coalition government on 17 May 2020.

Under the three-year coalition deal:

• Netanyahu will serve as Prime Minister for the coming 18 months, which would keep him in power until November 13, 2021.
• Till then Benny Gantz will serve as the Defence Minister of the country.
• After 18 months, both of them will swap their roles and Netanyahu will become Defence Minister while Gantz will be the new Prime Minister.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Capital of Israel: Jerusalem.
• The currency of Israel: Israeli shekel.