The coalition lost two no-confidence motions at the Knesset’s plenum on Monday evening, but the opposition did have not have the required majority of 61 to topple the government.
The coalition chose to boycott the votes on the no-confidence motions submitted by the opposition factions, due to the refusal of the opposition to withdraw the motions following Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s trip to Bahrain.
The Likud party’s motion, entitled “The Government ministries’ lack of functioning,” received a majority of 10 MKs, with no opposing votes and two abstentions.
The motion proposed by Shas and United Torah Judaism, entitled “A cruel government that ignores the unprecedented price increases and high cost of living,” received a majority of 13 MKs, without opposing votes.
Despite achieving a majority, the motions did not pass, since a 61-MK majority is required for motions of no-confidence to pass.
Similarly, the coalition decided to withdraw its motions after it realized it would not obtain a majority. Members of the Islamist Ra’am party, part of Naftali Bennett’s coalition, announced they would vote against the coalition after their demands for tax breaks of illegal Bedouin communities were denied by the coalition.
The Likud party stated in response: “another evening, another defeat for the coalition. Once again, Bennett has been shown to be completely dependent on the Ra’am. Bennett’s coalition has proven to be the Israeli champion of failures in the Knesset.”
The coalition has a very slim majority, and any protest action by even one of its members destabilizes its ability to act. It has lost votes in recent weeks.
