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Benjamin Netanyahu has lost his 12-year hold on power in Israel after its parliament voted in a new coalition government.

Right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennett has been sworn in as prime minister, leading a "government of change". He will lead an unprecedented coalition of right-wing, centrist and Arab parties which was approved with a razor-thin majority of 60-59.

Matthew Shugart is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of California, Davis. He thinks despite the parties having wildly different policies on settlements and Israel's relationship with the Palestinians, the government may well last, simply because the parties involved have too much to lose if it doesn't.

"It's possible that there's never been a case in parliamentary democracy... anywhere in which a party this small has held the prime ministership. Bennett's an interesting guy in that he can be pragmatic but deep down he's spent his whole career carving out a niche to the right of Netanyahu... but he'll be constrained."

(Photo: New prime minister Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid celebrate the formation of the new coalition government)

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