Is it finally the end for Benjamin Netanyahu, the great survivor of Israeli politics?
A quarter of a century ago, Israelis were stunned when Benjamin Netanyahu narrowly beat Shimon Peres to become Israel's youngest-ever Prime Minister.
On Sunday, the anniversary of that first win in 1996, Netanyahu addressed the country as he faced the possibility of the end of his political career after his former lieutenant, Naftali Bennett, announced he would work with opposition leader Yair Lapid to form a new government.
Blasting Bennett, leader of the small right-wing party Yamina, for committing what he called the "fraud of the century," Netanyahu portrayed him as a power hungry politician who "only cares about himself." It was a statement that some Israeli political watchers found to be more than ironic considering Netanyahu's past political maneuvers.
The announcement came after Bennett had already once announced he was working with Lapid, only to backtrack two days into Israel's latest conflict with Hamas-led militants in Gaza. But a few days after the ceasefire was announced, Bennett was back at the negotiating table with Lapid.
Bennett and Lapid, who heads the centrist party Yesh Atid, will try to form a coalition with at least eight political parties that run the political spectrum; from the left wing Meretz, to Bennett's right wing Yamina party. They will also likely need the outside support of a small Islamist party called United Arab List in order to be able to have a governing majority in Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
The new coalition will not see eye-to-eye on many of the most pressing issues facing Israel, especially on Israeli relations with Palestinians. But in his speech Sunday, Bennett said he's willing to sit with parties with opposing ideological views as his in order to prevent Israel from going through a fifth round of elections in just over two years.
It is widely believed that as part of the deal, Bennett will serve first as prime minister, followed by Lapid.
Now Lapid needs to formally sign coalition agreements with the various parties before presenting his new government to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Then the Knesset needs to vote and approve the new government before it can be formally sworn in.
Beyond losing his role as leader of Israel's government, Netanyahu faces perhaps an even greater threat if the new government is sworn in: an ongoing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.