Israel is heading toward its fifth election in less than four years, as the Bennett-Lapid consensus ends in the Knesset.
Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett's Yamina Party was weakened by significant defections recently between Bennett's right-wing allies and Arab members of the coalition, which rendered the to a government a minority position in the Knesset.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz discussed a vote on a bill to dissolve the Knesset on June 22, 2022.
However, the bill to disperse the 24th Knesset has been delayed due to a last-ditch effort by the opposition to form an alternative government rather than call elections.
Gantz, of the Blue and White party, said he would "do everything" in his power to prevent an effort for opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new coalition in the current Knesset, while he voiced his opinion that new elections are the best way forward.
The Labor party is expected to hold primaries on July 18, and is the party most secular Jews support.
Officials estimate the expense for the upcoming expected elections to be approximately $700 million. The tentative date is October 25, or November 8, 2022.
The Bennett-Lapid pact
The Bennett-Lapid pact dissolved on the pretext that a law ascribing special status to Israeli settlers had failed to pass, which is crucial in a government whose several constituents and Prime Minister are religious Zionists.
The coalition's makeup had been regarded as being too broad, which prevented political consensus from enacting meaningful change and establishing stable rule.
Bennett's move to dissolve the Knesset and seek is pre-emptive and may be a political ploy. His strategy might be maximizing time for Yair Lapid's succession as Prime Minister, therefore prolonging the coalition and buying time to develop a new platform.
Under Israeli law, Bennett's succeeding caretaker government can function for three months before elections, which would benefit Bennett's proposed successor, Lapid.
Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu currently serves as Leader of the Opposition and as the chairman of the Likud party.
Netanyahu's opponents proposed using a controversial bill to block politicians under criminal indictment from forming a government while elections were on the horizon.
The bill would change a quasi-constitutional law to forbid a person under indictment for a serious crime from serving as prime minister. Netanyahu is currently on trial for three separate corruption cases. He faced corruption charges in the past as well, in a previous term in office.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).