Israel’s coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was dissolved on Wednesday after failing to pass the annual budget, triggering Israel’s fourth election in two years. The upcoming elections are scheduled for March 23, 2021.
As per Israeli law, failure to pass the budget by midnight on December 23 de-facto resulted in the dissolution of the current government, prompting early elections. As a consequence, Netanyahu will be contesting yet another round of elections against former coalition partner Benny Gantz from the centrist Blue and White party as well as a new rival from the right, Gideon Saar, a defector from Netanyahu’s Likud party. This comes amid a still raging coronavirus pandemic in the country, and at a time when Netanyahu’s corruption trial is intensifying.
“Netanyahu can’t give Israel the unity and stability it needs. The most important thing right now is to replace Netanyahu” said Saar after the dissolution of the ruling government.
On the contrary, Netanyahu argued during a television address that “ The majority of the public sees our great achievements and leadership. We are bringing millions of vaccines, bringing four peace agreements, curbing the Iran threat, and transforming Israel into one of the world’s leading economies.”
Netanyahu has been in power since 2009, after serving as premier from 1996 to 1999. However, Likud failed to form a majority in the last three general elections, primarily due to alleged corruption charges against him, and the government’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of recorded COVID-19 cases has gone up to 384,169, with approximately 3,141 deaths. After signing a power-sharing agreement with opposition leader Gantz, Netanyahu began his fifth consecutive term as prime minister in May 2020.
As per the “rotation” clause in the deal signed in May, Gantz was due to take over from Israel’s longest-serving leader in November 2021 after the national budget was passed. However, Gantz accused Netanyahu of refusing to pass the 2020 and 2021 state budget in one go—as per the coalition agreement—which he believes was done to prolong the PM’s term. Following the breach of the clause, Gantz supported the no-confidence bill against Netanyahu in the Israeli parliament, also known as the Knesset, in early December.
According to analysts, a March election would be tough for the current premier, as he is set to appear in court in February for his corruption trial. A May-June election would be more advantageous for Netanyahu after a COVID-19 vaccine is introduced in the country, as it would give a much-needed boost to the nation’s economy. In any case, Gantz is expected to face a drop in political support after reneging on his election promises of not joining forces with Likud. Despite the corruption charges against Netanyahu, recent opinion polls have predicted a strong showing for right-wing and religious parties that could rally around the PM or another conservative challenger, such as former Defence Minister Naftali Bennett.
Additionally, Netanyahu has been hailed all across the country for signing US-brokered normalisation deals with Arab and non-Arab countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, and Bhutan. It remains unclear whether the internal political turmoil in Israel will impact these new diplomatic ties.
Israel Heads Towards Fourth Election in Two Years As Ruling Coalition Fails to Pass Budget
Israel’s parliament dissolved on Wednesday, as coalition partners Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz failed to approve the country’s annual budget.
December 24, 2020
SOURCE: THE TIMES OF ISRAEL