TEL AVIV – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced Monday that they plan to dissolve the Knesset next week, paving the way for a fifth round of general elections in less than four years. If the vote to dissolve parliament passes, Lapid will become caretaker prime minister, although Bennett will continue to be in charge of Iran’s portfolio, as outlined in the power-sharing agreement. Elections are likely to be held on October 25, according to Israeli media. “We have a country that needs to run,” Bennett said in a televised joint statement with Lapid, as the lights in the press room went out momentarily. “How symbolic,” Lapid said. Bennett and Lapid had said before that they had “Exhausted choices to stabilize” their coalition, which consists of an ideological kaleidoscope of parties – including left-wing peace activists, right-wing supporters of Jewish settlers and, for the first time in Israeli history, an Arab Islamic party – a year ago their desire to oust then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett described the government’s achievements, including its success in “preventing the signing” of a new nuclear deal between Iran and world powers “without destroying relations with the United States.” Since the nuclear talks froze in March, Iran has struggled to secure a “significant amount of enriched uranium,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said earlier this month. Under the original agreement, Iran had agreed to strict limits on the quantity and quality of its enriched uranium. For weeks, the Israeli ruling coalition was on the verge of collapse as three members, including two of Bennett’s right-wing Yamina party, surrendered, stripping the government of its majority and its ability to pass legislation. To hasten the collapse of the coalition earlier this month, Netanyahu – the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history – rallied his party and other usually pro-colonial opposition lawmakers to vote against an unequivocally civil law measure that would allow civil law to be implemented. settlers in the occupied West Bank. Bennett said in a televised statement that the expiration of the West Bank law would have caused “damage to Israel’s security and consequent chaos that I can not allow.” The expected dissolution of the Knesset next week means an automatic renewal of the law. “This is good news for millions of Israeli citizens,” Netanyahu said in a video tweet. “A government that will return national pride to the people of Israel so that you can walk the streets with your head held high.” “What we need to do today is return to the concept of Israeli unity. “In order not to let the dark forces separate us from within,” Lapid said in a televised statement, referring to the divisions that intensified during Netanyahu’s 12-year term. The development comes a week after President Biden announced plans for a July 14 visit to Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia. Biden’s visit will take place as planned, according to Israeli media, which reported that he will meet with Lapid.
