One year after ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s record-breaking reign after months of political turmoil, Israel’s fragile coalition government is on the verge of collapsing, raising the prospect of a snap election in the coming months.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid vowed on Sunday to fight for the survival of their unlikely coalition of right-wing, liberal, and Muslim Arab parties, citing accomplishments such as boosting economic growth and eliminating the budget deficit.
‘It’s been a year since the national salvation government was established. Any honest person would admit that this is one of the best governments in the country, despite the fact that it is based on one of the most difficult coalitions the Knesset has ever seen ‘Bennett made the remarks during his weekly cabinet meeting, which was broadcast live.
‘We will not give up and will not break.’
After the fourth election in two years, the hawkish Bennett, 50, and the centrist Lapid, 58, will end Netanyahu’s record 12-year reign in June 2021.
However, with a razor-thin majority and deep divisions over major issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the coalition has struggled to hold together, and analysts predict a calamitous collapse.
Bennett found himself in control of only 60 of the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers after losing the support of two members of his own right-wing Yamina alliance over the last year.
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