In a decision that appears to have set the stage for either the return of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or a long-term political gridlock, Israel’s coalition government announced Monday that it would dissolve the country's parliament and call for new elections — its fifth in three years. Known to be a polarising figure, Netanyahu has been in the opposition for the past year, and the latest development gives him another chance to be back at the centre of Israel politics.
The previous four elections failed to see a decisive verdict as Netanyahu faced a corruption investigation. He denies the crime.
"I think the winds have changed. I feel it,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying in a report by news agency Associated Press.
Opinion polls are projecting Netanyahu as the front-runner, but it can’t be said for sure if his Likud party will secure the required majority to form a new government, the report said.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, his former ally and adviser, formed his government last year with the goal of stopping the endless cycle of elections. But the coalition comprising parties across the political spectrum proved to be weak, and lost the majority as a result earlier this year. He has of late also faced rebellions from different lawmakers.
At a press conference televised across the nation Monday, Bennett said his plans to dissolve the government was a right decision in difficult circumstances. Standing with his foreign minister Yair Lapid, he said together they took Israel out of the pit for the sake of “fairness and trust”.
Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid party, will be the interim prime minister until an election, as part of the coalition agreement. He is expected to be Netanyahu's main rival.
“Even if we’re going to elections in a few months, our challenges as a state cannot wait,” Lapid said. “What we need to do today is go back to the concept of Israeli unity. Not to let dark forces tear us apart from within.”
Bennett and Lapid are expected to present a bill in the coming days to dissolve parliament. If approved, the country could hold elections in October.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, called the forthcoming dissolution of parliament "big news" for millions of Israelis and said he would form a "broad nationalist government led by Likud" after the next election.
But even before the elections, he vowed, he will try to form an alternative government by trying to gain support of some of his opponents.
Israel held four unlimited elections between 2019 and 2021, all of which focused on Netanyahu’s ability to rule while on trial. Opinion polls predict his Likud party will once again become the largest single party, but whether it will have the support of a majority in parliament to form a new government is not clear.