Israel to hold 5th election in 3 years

Israel’s coalition government has announced that it would dissolve parliament and hold new elections, the fifth time in three years.

What’s happening there?
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett assumed office a year ago with the goal of stopping the country’s never-ending electoral cycle. However, his fragile coalition government, which includes parties from all sides of the political spectrum, lost its majority early this year and has recently faced rebellions from several legislators. Bennett, while announcing the dissolution, said he had made “the right decision” in difficult circumstances.

Any projections?
After one year of being the opposition leader, the new elections would be paving the way for former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s likely return to power or yet another spell of political deadlock. The previous four elections, which were centered on Netanyahu’s ability to lead while facing a corruption investigation, resulted in a tie. While public surveys show Netanyahu as the front-runner, his Likud party’s ability to obtain the requisite legislative majority to establish a new government is far from clear.

When is the new election?
Bennett’s partner, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who leads the large centrist party Yesh Atid, will become the interim Prime Minister until the election. In the next days, Bennett and Lapid will propose a bill to dissolve parliament. Following that, the country will hold elections, most likely in October. Expressing optimism about his chances of returning to the office, former PM Netanyahu said, “There’s a need to rehabilitate the state of Israel, and we have the ability to do it”.