JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s ailing coalition government decided Monday to dissolve parliament and call new elections, the country’s fifth in three years.
The vote, expected later this year, could spark the return of a religious nationalist government led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another prolonged period of political deadlock.
In a nationally televised news conference, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was not easy to dissolve the government but called it “the right decision for Israel.”
The fragile coalition government, which includes parties from across the political spectrum, lost its majority earlier this year and has faced rebellions from different lawmakers in recent weeks.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will take over from Bennett on an interim basis in a deal they announced together.
Bennett listed a number of accomplishments and promised an “orderly” transition.
Lapid thanked Bennett for putting the country before his personal interests.
“Even if we go to the elections in a few months, our challenges as a state cannot wait,” Lapid said.
THIS IS A LAST MINUTE UPDATE. The previous AP story follows below.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office announced Monday that his ailing coalition will dissolve and the country will head to new elections.
The election, scheduled for October or November, would be Israel’s fifth in three years. The election could also set the stage for the return to power of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now the leader of the opposition.
Bennett has struggled to keep his fractious eight-party coalition together since taking office a year ago, and defections have left the alliance in shambles without a majority in parliament for more than two months.
Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, have decided to table a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett’s office said. Lapid will then serve as interim prime minister.
Bennett formed the eight-party coalition in June 2021 after four successive inconclusive elections. It included a diverse range of parties, from peace factions supporting an end to Israel’s occupation of lands captured in 1967, to hardline parties opposing Palestinian independence. It made history by becoming the first Israeli coalition government to include an Arab party.
The alliance achieved a number of achievements, including passing the first national budget in several years and handling a pair of coronavirus outbreaks without imposing any lockdowns.
But it eventually fell apart, in large part because several members of Bennett’s hard-line party objected to what they saw as compromises made by him to keep the coalition afloat and his apparent moderation.
The dissolution threatened to overshadow a visit scheduled for next month by President Joe Biden. Israeli media quoted Biden’s ambassador, Tom Nides, as saying the visit would go ahead as planned.
Netanyahu said the impending dissolution of parliament was “good news” for millions of Israelis and said he would form “a broad nationalist Likud-led government” after the next election.
Israel held four inconclusive elections between 2019 and 2021 that were largely referendums on Netanyahu’s ability to govern while he was on trial for corruption. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.
Opinion polls have predicted that Netanyahu’s hardline Likud will re-emerge as the single largest party. But it is unclear whether he will be able to garner the necessary support from most lawmakers to form a new government.
Reference-www.inquirer.com