Parliamentary elections on November 1st: Clear the way for new elections in Israel

For days there was wrestling and arguing, now the Israeli parliament has agreed on a new election at the beginning of November and has dissolved itself. According to the polls, however, there is a risk of a permanent political dispute even after the election.

A majority of the Knesset voted to dissolve itself, clearing the way for elections. The fifth in just around three and a half years. The new elections are scheduled for November 1, but it is uncertain whether they will bring domestic political stability to the country. The dissolution decision was preceded by a day-long dispute between the government and the opposition about the election date and other decisions. In the end there were no dissenting votes.

Netanyahu’s party ahead in polls

If the polls are correct, the national-conservative Likud party of ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will clearly be the strongest force. However, according to the polls, neither Netanyahu, who is accused of corruption, and his declared political partners, an extreme right-wing party and two strictly religious Jewish parties, nor the anti-Netanyahu camp have their own majorities.

There is a risk of a political stalemate and a relapse into the permanent crisis with a spiral of new elections that characterized the last two years of Netanyahu’s term in office.

Lapid takes over governance

Until a new coalition is formed, the previous Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, will take over the leadership of the government. The 58-year-old ex-TV presenter and chairman of the liberal Future Party was the architect of the previous coalition. The alliance of eight parties from almost all camps brought Israel a year of political stability before it lost its parliamentary majority due to a lack of content overlap.

Lapid has now announced that he wants to be a prime minister for all Israelis and to bridge the gaps in society. The statements are also likely to be related to the recent escalation in the Middle East conflict. A series of terrorist attacks by radical Palestinians had shaken Israel. Several people were killed during Israeli operations in the Palestinian territories.

Violence renewed in the West Bank

Violence broke out again today: According to the Israeli military, armed Palestinians opened fire on Jewish believers at a holy site in the occupied West Bank. An Israeli officer and two civilians were injured, the Israeli army said.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that a Palestinian youth was shot and 16 others were injured by rubber bullets.

With material by Tim Aßmann, ARD Studio Tel Aviv