Israel’s government, led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, reportedly plans to dissolve the Knesset and call for early elections. The move marks a dramatic shift in a country accustomed to parliamentary maneuvering, and it signals a potential overhaul of the current political landscape.
Prime Minister Bennett and their government partner Yair Lapid are expected to publicly declare the decision to advance a dissolution law next week, with the formal announcement anticipated at 8:00 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT). The path to fresh national ballots appears to be the central step in a broader strategy aimed at stabilizing governance amid mounting pressures.
According to Israeli media, the current foreign minister is poised to assume interim leadership of the administration until a new government can be formed following the anticipated October elections. This provisional arrangement underscores the urgency of resolving a political impasse and maintaining continuity in executive functions during a critical transition period.
What began as a coalition government celebrated its first anniversary on 13 June, yet it has endured one crisis after another. The alliance’s fragility became evident after Bennett’s far-right party, Yamina, lost its parliamentary majority in April when Idit Silman defected. The shift altered coalition arithmetic and intensified efforts to keep the government intact while navigating divergent policy priorities.
Within the Islamist Arab party Raam, there was a three-week pause in its participation in government at the end of April, triggered by disturbances at Jerusalem’s sacred esplanade during Ramadan. The party later chose to rejoin the coalition, demonstrating the delicate balancing act required to sustain governance in a highly symbolic and sensitive arena of Israeli politics. The pause illustrated how security and religious tensions can reverberate through coalition dynamics and policy decisions.
There has also been persistent speculation that Nir Orbach, another Yamina legislator, might leave the coalition and join the Likud-led opposition, which is led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Such a move would further reshuffle the alliance and could crystallize the path toward new electoral configurations as different parties recalibrate their strategies for power in a crowded political field.
The coalition government was formed a year ago as the most diverse executive in the nation’s history, a merger of eight parties spanning a broad spectrum from ultranationalist right to pacifist left, and including the Arab party Raam. This unprecedented integration was built, in part, to unite diverse voices against Netanyahu and to pursue a shared goal of transitioning away from his leadership. The ongoing process to dissolve the Knesset and seek fresh elections sits at the heart of that ongoing effort, reflecting the realigned loyalties and shifting dynamics that characterize contemporary Israeli politics. It remains to be seen how the next electoral cycle will reshape the country’s policy direction on security, diplomacy, and social issues, and how the coalition will navigate the pressures of balancing competing mandates under the weight of impending constitutional changes. (Source: Israeli press summaries)”