JERUSALEM ( Associated Press) – Israel’s weakened coalition government on Monday decided to dissolve parliament and call new elections.
The vote, expected later this year, could lead to the return of a nationalist religious government led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another long period of political trouble.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told a national television news conference that it was not easy to dissolve the government, but called it “the right decision for Israel.”
The election, expected in October or November, will be Israel’s fifth in three years. The election could also create the beginning for a return to power by longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now the opposition leader.
Bennett has struggled to keep his illegitimate coalition of eight parties together since it came to power a year ago, and defectors have left the crumbling alliance without a majority in parliament for more than two months.
Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, have decided to present a vote in the coming days to dissolve parliament, Bennett’s office said. Lapid should then serve as interim prime minister.
Bennett formed the eight-party coalition in June 2021 after four consecutive undecided elections. It included a diverse range of parties, from dove factions supporting an end to Israel’s occupation of lands captured in 1967, to hardline parties opposed to Palestinian independence. It made history by becoming the first Israeli coalition government to include an Arab party.
The alliance has achieved a range of achievements, including the adoption of the first national budget in a few years and the navigation of some coronavirus outbreaks without imposing any lockdown.
But in the end, it unraveled, largely because several members of Bennett’s hardline party objected to what they felt were compromises made by him to keep the coalition going and his alleged 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 take place as planned.
Netanyahu said the impending dissolution of parliament was “great news” for millions of Israelis, and said he would form “a broad nationalist government led by Likud” after the next election.
Israel held four undecided elections between 2019 and 2021 that were largely referendums on Netanyahu’s ability to govern while on trial for corruption. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing.
Opinion polls have predicted that Netanyahu’s hardline Likud will once again emerge as the largest single party. But it remains unclear whether he will be able to garner the required support of a majority of legislators to form a new government.
