Israel's ruling coalition said on Monday that the Knesset, or parliament, will be dissolved next week, effectively disbanding the government and forcing the country to hold elections for the sixth time in three years.
Here's a closer look at what's going on and what will happen next.Is Israel's government falling once more?
Since taking office just over a year ago, the Israeli government – a coalition of eight parties including right-wingers, centrists, and a party representing Israeli Palestinians – has been shaky.
After two years of parliamentary gridlock, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his coalition partner, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, formed the government in June 2021, ending former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12 years in office.
However, internal divisions inside the coalition have reached a breaking point, and Monday's decision came after weeks of rumors that the alliance was on the verge of disbanding.
Opposition to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the main issue that brought them together, but it wasn't enough to keep them together in the end.What was it that finally drove the coalition over the edge?
With a razor-thin parliamentary majority and disagreements on fundamental policy issues like Palestinian statehood, Israel's occupation of the West Bank, and religious-state conflicts, the alliance began to splinter when a few members deserted.When Idit Silman, a member of Bennett's right-wing Yamina party, announced her departure in April, the coalition lost its majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset.
Bennett's coalition has been unable to enact legislation in recent weeks due to a slew of defections and rebellions, raising worries about how long it can endure.
In response to Israeli attacks on Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, as well as ongoing raids in the occupied West Bank that have murdered Palestinians, the United Arab List has vowed to withdraw.Bennett had warned of a possible collapse earlier this month after another Yamina party member, Nir Orbach, declared he would no longer vote with the government coalition.
The final straw came two weeks ago, when a motion in parliament that would have extended Israeli civil law to settlements in the occupied West Bank was defeated.The settler law, which would normally enjoy broad support in parliament and has been repeatedly renewed over the past 50 years, failed due to the increasingly acrimonious climate between the government and the opposition, with the latter opting to vote against a law they support in order to weaken the government.
The conflicts within the ruling coalition ultimately proved too difficult to overcome, especially since the government had very little wiggle room in parliament and an opposition eager to bring it down.
So, what's next?
On Tuesday, Israel's parliament will gather to discuss a draft resolution calling for the country's dissolution and the convening of early elections.
As terms of the pact that produced the coalition, if the parliament is dissolved, Bennett will stand down and be succeeded by Lapid as acting prime minister until new elections can be called.
Some political commentators believe that an alternative administration can be established without holding a new election, because Israel's right-wing parties on both sides of the government-opposition divide will be pressured to join forces, given the right-wing majority in parliament.
Many Israelis are fed up with elections, and the thought of another one before the end of the year may exacerbate their dissatisfaction.If the country does hold new general elections, they must be held within 90 days following the parliament's dissolution, with October 25 being suggested as a possible date.
The new vote might pave the way for Netanyahu's return to power.
Netanyahu has stated that he will run for office again. "I believe the winds have shifted." He declared, "I feel it."
In an attempt to persuade individual MKs and entire parties to defect, Netanyahu's staff is courting them now.
According to polls, Netanyahu's hardline Likud party will once again be the largest single party. However, it is unclear whether he would be able to secure the needed majority of parliamentarians to establish a new administration.
It will ultimately come down to whether Netanyahu, who is still facing corruption allegations and is a controversial figure in Israeli politics, especially among the right wing, can persuade enough politicians to support him again.
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