JERUSALEM – Israel's newly elected parliament was sworn in on Tuesday, as opposition parties moved to use their parliamentary majority to replace key allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Isaac Herzog opened the inaugural session of the 120-seat parliament, or Knesset, following which the newly elected lawmakers took their oath of office.
The ceremony followed an Oct 27 election in which Netanyahu's right-wing bloc lost its majority, securing 53 seats against 67 for parties opposed to him.
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Ahead of the ceremony, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party said more than 61 lawmakers had signed a request to replace parliament Speaker Amir Ohana, a lawmaker from Netanyahu's Likud party, and nominated Matan Kahana, a Yashar lawmaker, as his successor.
Eisenkot's allies also agreed on candidates to head key parliamentary committees, including Avigdor Lieberman, a right-wing ally whose opposition to forming a government with Arab parties has complicated coalition talks, as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Liran Avisar Ben Horin, a lawmaker from former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's party, will head the Finance Committee, making her the first woman to hold the post.
Eisenkot, a former military chief, was tasked by Herzog on Sunday with forming a government and given 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension. Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government takes office.
