Israel Heads to Elections for Second Time This Year

Stand for Israel  |  May 30, 2019

While Israel held elections just last month, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) has voted to dissolve. This happened because, our friends at JNS tell us, no coalition could be formed, and means that elections will again be held across the Jewish state this September:

Israeli lawmakers took an unprecedented step on Wednesday to dissolve the Knesset, throwing the country back into another election season just weeks after a national election.

After a 12-hour debate, lawmakers approved a measure by a vote of 74-45 to dissolve the 21st Knesset and hold new elections on Sept. 17. The Likud-sponsored bill was supported by fellow right-wing parties Yisrael Beitenu, United Torah Judaism, Shas and the Union of Right-Wing Parties, as well as two Israeli Arab parties, Ra’am Balad and Hadash Ta’al.

As one of the only acts of the 21st Knesset, the decision to dissolve the parliament came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a governing coalition…

Netanyahu needed 61 seats to form a governing coalition. Without Yisrael Beiteinu’s five seats, the Israeli premier would only have 60 seats in his right-wing coalition. As such, the move to dissolve the Knesset was set to preempt Israeli President Reuven Rivlin from choosing someone else to form a governing coalition after the May 30 deadline…

“The public in Israel made a clear decision. It decided that I will be prime minister, that the Likud will lead the government, a right-wing government,” said Netanyahu. “The public voted for me to lead the state of Israel…”