A year after its coalition, Israel’s government on June 20 announced that it would dissolve the parliament after “exhausting all efforts to stabilize the coalition” and called for new elections. This will be Israel’s fifth general election within a span of four years.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett along with Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in a joint statement said that the decision was a “difficult moment, but it was the right decision for the State of Israel.”
“Together, we got Israel out of the pit. We accomplished many things this year. First and foremost, we brought to center stage the values of fairness and trust,” Bennett said.
The decision came after a growing disagreement in the government over a bill that would prevent lawmakers charged with serious crimes from joining the parliament as prime ministers. The bill, if passed, would end all chances of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election.
The dissolving of the Bennett-Lapid coalition government, which was formed with a mutual interest in removing the former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, will result in the possible re-election of the political opponent, Netanyahu. The elections are expected to take place on Oct 25th.
Following the terms of the coalition deal, Lapid will take over the duties of the prime minister until a new government is formed via elections. He will also continue as the acting foreign minister of Israel and meet US President Joe Biden in Israel on July 13th. Bennett will step into the role of alternate prime minister and manage the Iran project, which is dangerously escalating towards a shadow war.
“The transitional government will not be able to pass any important legislation like the 2023 budget, it will have a freer hand to govern without the constant threat of no-confidence motions or Knesset members threatening to topple it,” confirmed Shalom Lipner, a senior fellow at Atlantic Council.
The former Israeli Prime Minister, in a video released on social media on Monday, was seen celebrating the decision.
“This evening is wonderful news for the citizens of Israel.”
“A government that depended on terror supporters, which abandoned the personal security of the citizens of Israel, that raised the cost of living to unheard-of heights, that imposed unnecessary taxes, that endangered our Jewish entity. This government is going home,” he further added.