Israel has a new government at last

COVID-19 HAS caused much misery. But on April 20th it helped end Israel’s political deadlock. After three inconclusive elections in the span of a year, the country’s two biggest parties, Likud and Blue and White, put aside their differences and agreed to form a “national-emergency unity government”. Under the deal, Binyamin Netanyahu, the long-serving prime minister (pictured), remains in the post for another 18 months. Then he will hand over to Benny Gantz, the leader of Blue and White, who will serve as deputy prime minister and defence minister in the meantime.