Israel's opposition leader Lapid seeks to oust Netanyahu as 'obstacles' remain

Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday said that there were many obstacles that remained before the building of a diverse coalition to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Lapid is a secular centrist. He has been in talks with right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennet.

Former TV anchor Lapid's chances of success rose when tech millionaire Bennett, despite their ideological differences, said Sunday he would join a "national unity government" in which the two men would take turns to serve as premier.

Israel currently is in political turmoil with fourth inconclusive election in less than two years. The sequence of events may topple Netanyahu.

The intense political bargaining follows Israel's bloody 11-day military conflict with Islamist group Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza that ended with a May 21 ceasefire.

A viable anti-Netanyahu coalition would still need the support of other parties and lawmakers to gain a majority of 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's legislature.

But while Lapid warned of remaining hurdles, he also sought to strike a cautiously upbeat note. 

"We'll have to overcome them together," he told members of his Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party. "That's our first test -- to see if we can find smart compromises in the coming days to achieve the greater goal."

(With inputs from agencies)