According to News12 political reporter Amit Segal, after the attempts to stabilize the coalition have been exhausted, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Deputy Prime Minister Yair Lapid concluded that a bill will be submitted next week for the dispersal of the Knesset, and once it is approved, the rotation will be performed in an orderly manner, Bennett will step down and Lapid becomes the prime minister.
Prime Minister Bennett is now talking to party leaders. He and Lapid will speak to the nation at 8 PM Israel Time (1 PM NY time).
On Monday morning, the Likud party submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset, and stated that it intends to bring it to a preliminary reading in the plenum this coming Wednesday.
Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that if Likud offered MK Nir Orbach a reserved spot on their election slate in exchange for a vote against the government, it would be investigated as a criminal offense. Lapid said that “we have been talking to Orbach for the last few days, hoping he will do the right thing.”
At the beginning of Monday’s Yesh Atid faction meeting, Lapid added that “those who cannot stand the tension should resign.”
Still, between now a week from now anything can still happen. The coalition rebels can get back in line or be convinced to quit the Knesset, or Defense Minister Benny Gantz and all the coalition MKs who won’t make it in the next elections can decide it’s better to join a Netanyahu coalition instead of heading to new elections.
While there are limitations on the actions an interim government can take, the progressive parties in the government will no longer be restrained by the need for coalition stability.
Elections would likely be held on October 25th, 2022.
