Israeli PM faces vote with coalition weakened by truce

With no majority in parliament and surrounded by allies outraged by his acceptance of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have set his sights on Israel's next elections.

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A political phoenix, Netanyahu is the country's longest-serving prime minister, has been its dominant political figure for decades and heads one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel's history.

But he does not hold an absolute parliamentary majority after an ultra-Orthodox party quit in July, protesting against the government's failure to pass a law to exempt its community from military service.

The summer parliamentary recess came at just the right time to shield the government, which now holds just 60 of 120 seats, from motions of no confidence.

But the resumption of the Knesset’s work on Oct. 20 heralded the return of transactional politics and potential threats for the government.