"With this government it's impossible to run the country," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday night after his ''crisis’’ meeting with Minister of Finance Yair Lapid at the Prime Minister's Office.
"If the unprecedented behavior of some government ministers continues, there will be no choice but to ask for the voters' confidence once again," he said, indicating that he will call an election shortly.
It now looks as though Netanyahu's Likud party will join the bill proposed by Labor and Meretz for the dissolution of the Knesset and that elections will take place within 90 days of the dissolution date. If that happens, elections can be expected to take place on March 17, or on April 24, after the Passover holiday.
Elections are expected in early March. The final date will be set in the dissolution bill. By law, elections must take place no earlier than three months after the Knesset’s dissolution but no later than five months.
"This is not the alternative I want," the Prime Minister said, "but a worse option is maintaining a government in which ministers undermine its actions and policy, contrary to the public interest. Dragging the country along in a situation in which ministers in the government sabotage its actions is a worse choice."
In the meeting with Lapid, Netanyahu told him that it was impossible to maintain the government while he and members of his party (Yesh Atid) constantly attacked the government of which they were members.
Netanyahu presented Lapid with five conditions for continuation of the present government: "a halt to the verbal attacks on and subversion of the government of which he is a member, including criticism of construction in Jerusalem and relations with the US; the transfer, as agreed, of NIS 6 billion to the defense budget for training and procurement, among other things of Iron Dome batteries and APCs; the release of the budget for the shifting IDF bases to the south of Israel, as had been agreed; support for the Jewish Nation State bill on the basis of the principles presented by the Prime Minister in the government; suspension of the zero VAT for first time homebuyers plan, and use of the NIS 3 billion thus saved for genuine solutions that will reduce housing prices and not raise them, plus measures for reducing the cost of living such as reducing the VAT rate on basic food items."
Yesh Atid said in a statement, "Netanyahu is leading Israel to unnecessary elections. This evening too, the Prime Minister chose to act irresponsibly and to put the needs of the Israeli public at the end of his order of priorities. Netanyahu prefers a deal he has put together with the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) on bringing forward the elections over the interests of Israel's people in general."
Israel’s opposition leaders hailed the prospect of an election and urged for a poll as soon as possible.Opposition leader and Labour head Isaac Herzog welcomed the possibility of an election, saying via social media “The people do not trust this government. We must hold elections as soon as possible and replace the leadership. The Labour Party will lead the winning bloc and renew hope among Israeli citizens.”
Another advocate for elections is Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who said overnight that all political parties should come together and agree “on the closest date possible” for a vote. Shas and the Knesset’s other ultra-Orthodox faction United Torah Judaism (UTJ) found themselves excluded from government following the January 2013 election.
Opposition parties including Labour and Meretz yesterday submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset which if passed would precipitate an election. However, it remains unclear whether a vote will be brought to the plenum. In the meantime, media reports this morning suggest an election could be held as early as March 2015.
The preliminary vote on the dissolution of the Knesset bills will take place Wednesday, with the third and final vote formally setting a date for the dissolution of the 19th Knesset expected as early as Monday next week.
Nine of the last 10 Knessets dissolved early as the ruling multi-party coalition came undone. But the average lifespan of a Knesset is nevertheless around three years; the 19th Knesset is only in its 21st month.