The unprecedented eight-party coalition that elected the far-right Naftali Bennett as prime minister of Israel a little less than a year ago and has so far proved to be successful, faces this Wednesday (6th) what has emerged as its main political crisis. The broad front lost its majority in the Knesset, the country’s parliament.
The crisis was created after parliamentarian Idit Silman, leader of the ruling coalition, left it. Without it, the alliance would have 60 seats in the Legislature – one less than what is needed to have a majority in the 120-seat Parliament –, which complicates the governability of the broad front that brings together right and left acronyms.
To the local media, government parliamentarians claimed to have been taken by surprise by the stampede. The 41-year-old lawmaker is a member of Yamina, the far-right party to which Bennett also belongs. But the announcement did not exactly surprise analysts.
For weeks now, Silman has been publicly disagreeing with other party members, especially those on the left. In the letter she presented to the prime minister, which was leaked to the press, she accuses the government of undermining the Jewish character of the State of Israel.
Silman was referring to a public friction he had in recent days with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, of the leftist Meretz. He had urged hospitals across the country to respect a ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court of Justice that health facilities cannot prevent patients from bringing fermented products during the celebration of the Jewish Passover – practicing Jews abstain from eating such foods on that date. .
The high court’s decision was given on the grounds of stopping a potentially discriminatory policy for those who are not Jews or who do not practice religion. But Silman argued that by supporting her, the minister was “crossing a red line.”
“What bothered me was that the minister, who was supposed to be dealing with health, is now dealing with matters of religion and state,” she said. And she added that the common practice of hospitals not allowing fermented products at Easter is “tradition, not religion” in its nature.
The episode may be what justifies her departure from the coalition, but analysts have said that it was actually just a facade justification by the parliamentarian to please Yamina’s political base and the opposition, dissatisfied with the alliances made with the left and with the delay. to build more houses for Jewish settlers in the West Bank region.
Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving politician — 12 years — congratulated Silman on her decision and thanked her “on behalf of many people in Israel who have waited for this moment.” Reports picked up by the Times of Israel newspaper indicate that the deputy plans to join Likud, Netanyahu’s party.
Still in the letter of departure, Silman said he would now work to form a new right-wing government in Israel, indicating he would seek to get more coalition colleagues to leave the alliance as well. “I know I’m not the only one who feels that way,” she added.
All the options on the table could hamper the sustainability of the ruling coalition. The opposition, now a majority, could, for example, block the approval of the national budget, which could lead to the fall of the government next year with the call of new legislative elections.
Or, it could try to pass the dissolution of Parliament, which would require all opposition parties, many of whom are not so close to Netanyahu, to vote in favor, as a minimum of 61 votes is required. Likud has only 29 seats in the legislature.
