Israeli parliament in plan to disband

THE Israeli parliament has passed a preliminary proposal to dissolve itself, setting up a possible fourth national election in under two years.

The vote came just seven months after the coalition government took office in a declaration of national unity to confront the coronavirus crisis.

But since then, the alliance between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and defence minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White has been locked in never-ending infighting.

The vote gave only preliminary approval to ending the alliance and forcing new elections early next year. The legislation now heads to a committee before coming before parliament for final approval, perhaps as soon as next week.

In the meantime, Mr Gantz and Mr Netanyahu are expected to continue negotiations in a lastditch attempt to preserve their troubled alliance.

Blue and White joined the opposition in yesterday’s vote for the dissolution – a proposal which passed by 61 votes to 54 – and accused the Prime Minister of putting his own personal interests ahead of those of the country.

Mr Netanyahu is on trial on a series of corruption charges, and Mr Gantz accuses him of hindering key governmental work, including the passage of a national budget, in hopes of stalling or overturning the legal proceedings against him.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, whose Yesh Atid party voted in favour of new elections, accused the government of gross mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout.

The government has not yet passed a budget for 2020 – a result of the deep divisions produced by its power-sharing agreement.