BICOM

Israel is on the brink of new elections after the Knesset last night passed the first reading of a dissolution bill.

Sixty-four MKs voted for the motion, with 44 voting against and one abstaining. The bill was introduced to the Knesset amid a coalition-building crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to form a new 65-seat majority government with Kulanu, United Right, two ultra-Orthodox parties – Shas and United Torah Judaism -and Yisrael Beitenu. However, significant differences remain between Yisrael Beitenu and the ultra-Orthodox parties over the conscription bill for religious students, which puts Netanyahu in danger of not forming a coalition by midnight on Wednesday.

The bill must now be passed in its second and third readings for new elections to be called. Those readings will likely be held by Wednesday night if no agreement for a new coalition has been reached.

Yesterday evening Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “I have been making an extraordinary effort over the past few days to fulfil the will of the people: to form a right-wing government and prevent an unnecessary, expensive and wasteful election. There is no reason on earth to paralyse the country for another year and a half. There is no reason to waste billions, no reason to do so when the solution is right in front of us.”

He also discussed the so-called compromise solution to the conscription bill. He said: “I was the one who came up with this solution. It drafts the ultra-Orthodox exactly as the IDF demands, exactly according to the IDF’s numbers, exactly according to the conditions of the law, including the sanctions. It has everything. This disagreement is cosmetic, it’s semantic. I expect that the country’s wellbeing will prevail over all other considerations and all other interests, and that is my custom. This is simply not the way. There is still time. We can all come to our senses.”

Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman said his demand to pass the conscription bill was not a case of cosmetic revisions, but rather of not capitulating to the ultra-Orthodox parties. “We will not be partners in a halachic government,” he said at a press conference ahead of the vote to dissolve the Knesset.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said Israel was witnessing the deception of the public and the theft of its time, arguing that the Prime Minister could have stepped down and a functioning government could be formed tomorrow. Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg called on the leaders of the Blue and White Party to form their own coalition by joining with the Arab parties and at least one religious party.

If Netanyahu does not form a government by Wednesday at midnight, the President can ask another party leader to try. However, if the Knesset votes to dissolve itself before then, new elections will take place, possibly on 17 September.