Government aims for new elections: Israel faces troubled times

Israel’s government wants to dissolve parliament, and new elections could take place in October – it would be the fifth election in three years. According to polls, ex-Prime Minister Netanyahu has hopes of re-election.

At least at the head of this government there was still agreement in the evening: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid appeared together in front of the press, praised the joint work and Bennet announced what had already leaked out: “My friend, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and I decided together to dissolve Parliament and set a date for new elections.” Until these new elections, Lapid is to lead the government in an executive capacity.

Support for the government had crumbled for weeks. By May at the latest, she no longer had a majority in the Knesset since a member of parliament switched sides.

Dispute over law for settlers

Most notably, there was no majority for extending a law securing the rights of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The law expires at the end of the month – an opportunity for the opposition, many of whom support the settlers, to push the government along. “In the past few weeks we have done everything we can to preserve the government, which is also in the national interest for us,” said Bennett.

“Last Friday, I had a series of discussions with representatives of the security apparatus and the courts and finally understood that ten days from the expiration of the Judea and Samaria laws, the State of Israel would suffer severe security losses and descend into chaos,” Bennett said . He couldn’t allow that. If the Knesset is dissolved, the law for the settlers will be automatically extended.

This governing coalition of eight very different parties was an experiment that worked reasonably well for over a year. Parties from the right fringe, from the left camp and, for the first time, a party that represents the interests of Arab Israelis united above all in the will to prevent Benjamin Netanyahu from being re-elected to office.

He ruled Israel for almost 15 years – and has been on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust since 2019. In addition, the overlaps were quite small, critical topics were mostly avoided.

Israel urgently needs political stability, stressed Lapid: Even if we go to a new round of elections in a few months, the challenges cannot wait. We must bring down the high cost of living, lead the fight against Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas, and confront the forces that threaten to transform Israel into an undemocratic state.” What has happened in the past few days is an example of this that the Israeli system needs a fundamental change, Lapid said.

Netanyahu could be re-elected

Netanyahu now has the upper hand. His poll numbers are good, he can hope for re-election. In a correspondingly good mood, he declared in the evening: “For millions of citizens in Israel, this is an evening of good news. One year after a determined struggle by the opposition in parliament and great suffering among the people of Israel, it is now clear to everyone that the government, which in the most unsuccessful government in the history of the state has now come to the end of the road.”

However, observers fear that the political impasse in Israel could continue even after a possible election at the end of October.

Demand for a new electoral system

It would be the fifth election in three and a half years. Anmon Abramovich, commentator for Channel 12 TV said: “After the second elections we have already warned of a possible third round. There is no certainty that we won’t also slip into a sixth or seventh round. Unless the voting system is changed, the state and society will disintegrate through many ballots.”

After a little over a year of relative stability, Israel faces politically turbulent times.