TEL AVIV (Realist English). Israeli lawmakers will vote next week to dissolve parliament, paving the way for the country’s fifth election in three years. The inability of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to contain the growing pressure on his already unstable ruling coalition led to another political crisis in Israel. This step was taken a few weeks before the planned visit of US President Joe Biden.
“This is not an easy hour for me. The decision to create the current government was one of the most difficult, but also one of the most Zionist,” Bennett stressed.
The outgoing Prime Minister listed the achievements of his government and noted that the decision to dissolve the Knesset was made by him after it became clear that there was no way to extend the validity of Israeli laws in Judea and Samaria:
“It became clear to me that there is no chance of avoiding serious damage to our security and constitutional chaos.”
The dissolution of the Knesset will lead to an automatic extension of the law on settlers for six months.
Bennett ceded the post of prime minister for the entire transition period to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, his political partner in the ruling coalition, which unites parties with rather contradictory programs. They managed a year ago to put an end to the record 12-year rule of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lapid said at a joint press conference with Bennett that he highly appreciates the Prime Minister. “He is a very important leader of the Jewish people, and I am sure that we will continue to work together,” he said.
After the leaders of the disintegrating coalition, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu made his statement.
“Today people are smiling, as we are getting rid of the worst government in the history of the state,” the former Prime minister stressed.
He added that he does not rule out the possibility of creating an alternative government in the current Knesset, but is preparing for elections. “I will not enter into a coalition with Mansour Abbas. Gideon Saar refused to enter into a coalition with me, but he is ready for an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood,” Netanyahu said.
The date of the early parliamentary elections has not been announced, but Israeli media reported that they were expected to take place in October.
On June 13, in a commentary for the Middle East Institute, Israeli analyst Eran Etzion said that since coming to power in June 2021, the coalition government in Israel has been under enormous pressure from the opposition, which, with the help of resources loyal to ex-head of state Benjamin Netanyahu, has conducted a campaign to delegitimize the cabinet of Ministers.
