On Sunday, Naftali Bennett was sworn in as Israel's next prime minister after securing a confidence vote by the slimmest of margins, 60 votes to 59. His victory puts an end to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year reign as the country's longest-serving leader.

Bennett's upcoming administration, after four elections in two years, breaks a protracted political gridlock and brings in the most diverse coalition Israel has ever witnessed including the first Arab party to serve in government. Bennett welcomed diversity while cautioned of polarization inside the country in his speech before the Knesset confidence vote.

"Two times in history, we had lost our national home specifically because the leaders of the era were unable to sit down and negotiate with each other. Each was correct, yet despite being correct, they torched the house down on top of us "Bennett stated in his case. "I am proud of my capability to converse with folks who hold quite different opinions than mine."

Bennett became premier as the head of Yamina, a right-wing party with only seven Knesset seats, appointing him the country's only prime minister with a very small faction.

In the March election, Netanyahu's Likud party gained 30 seats. However, Netanyahu was once again unable to form a governing coalition with a majority of the Knesset's 120 members.

In his first comments upon that political situation in Israel, US President Joe Biden complimented Bennett, saying he looked forward to operating with the new prime minister.

"Israel has no better ally than the US," said Biden in his remarks. "The connection that binds our people is proof of our shared principles and years of close collaboration, and the United States is firm in its assistance for Israel's security."

“My administration is committed to collaborating with the next Israeli government to enhance security, stability, and peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and people across the region."

Mostly during discussion before the swearing-in, Netanyahu slammed the coalition that ejected him from the Prime Minister's Office after a record 12 years, branding it "weak" and "destructive."

Long regarded as the "magician" of Israeli politics, Netanyahu has survived and outsmarted his adversaries. Except on this particular night, he had too many adversaries who were eager to see him go.

After bragging about his successes throughout his tenure, Netanyahu slammed his opponents. "You call yourselves the guardians of democracy, and you're so nervous of democracy that you are likely to give fascist laws against my candidacy — the language of North Korea and Iran —to maintain your rule," he said, referring to speculation that new government would enforce term limits or make it unlawful for someone indicted to be prime minister.

Netanyahu warned his internal opponents and external foes that the incoming administration will not stand up to Iran, saying, "We would be back soon."

Bennett's path to victory appeared to be doomed during last month's 11-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian terrorists when Netanyahu appeared to rule out any possibility of the opposition parties establishing a cabinet to replace him.

However, Yair Lapid, the chairperson of the moderate Yesh Atid party, which has 17 seats, brokered the deals here between various parties that led to Netanyahu's demise. Bennett will lead a coalition of right-wing, left-wing, and Arab parties that are unified in their ambition to overthrow Netanyahu.

These diverse interests will make it difficult for the alliance to establish common ground on crucial issues like how to approach the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and how to handle the connection with Gaza.

The international world, including the US, is pressing for the revival of a peace process among Israelis and Palestinians, but this administration is unable to handle such discussions because two of the parties are vehemently opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Instead, during his two years as prime minister, Bennett will concentrate on internal concerns before handing over the keys to Lapid in compliance with their coalition agreement. These would include the link between religion and state, the expense of living, and concerns of quality of life.

Israel has likewise not enacted a budget since March 2018; the newly appointed government has three months to approve one of the Knesset will collapse and the country will be forced to hold elections again.

Nonetheless, the administration's inexperience will force it to confront some of the more difficult challenges.

In East Jerusalem, the High Court has yet to rule on the removal of many Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah district.

The final verdict was postponed to avoid tension and bloodshed in Jerusalem last month, but it still triggered a sequence of escalation that resulted in more than a week of warfare between Israel and Gaza, killing hundreds of people, the vast majority of whom were Palestinians.

Throughout his political career, Israel's new prime minister has held positions such as defence minister, economics minister, education minister, and others. However, it has always been under Netanyahu's control, and Bennett started his political career as Netanyahu's chief of staff.

Bennett has already carved his mark onto the country's political history by succeeding his old boss, notably after years of unparalleled political deadlock.

Bennett's political survival and success are dependent entirely on his ability to negotiate consensus amongst the coalition's various parties, even if just on a restricted domestic agenda. If he does not, he risks terminating his tenure as Prime Minister before it's even started.