Naftali Bennett dissolves the Israeli government by holding new elections

“We have a country that needs to run,” Bennett said in a televised joint statement with Lapid, just as the lights in the press room turned off for a moment. “What a symbol,” Lapid said.

Bennett and Lapid said earlier that they did “stressful choices for stability” their coalition, made up of an ideological landscape of parties, including left-wing peace activists, right-wing supporters of Jewish settlers, and, for the first time in Israel’s history, an Arab Islamic party. He united the alliance a year ago due to his desire to oust former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Bennett listed the government’s achievements, including success in “preventing the signing” of a new nuclear deal between Iran and world powers “without destroying relations with the United States.”

And since the nuclear talks froze in March, the International Atomic Energy Agency said earlier this month, Iran had scrambled to secure a “significant amount of enriched uranium”. Under the original agreement, Iran agreed to strict limits on the quantity and quality of enriched uranium it possesses.

For weeks, Israel’s ruling coalition teetered on the brink of collapse as three members, including two from Bennett’s own right-wing right-wing party, defected, stripping the government of a majority and its ability to pass legislation.

To hasten the coalition’s demise earlier this month, Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, rallied his party and other normally pro-settler opposition lawmakers to vote against a normally uncontested measure allowing civil law enforcement of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Bennett said in the televised statement that the expiration of the West Bank law would have led to “damage to Israel’s security and the consequent chaos that I cannot allow.” The dissolution of the Knesset, expected next week, means an automatic renewal of the law.

“It’s good news for millions of Israeli citizens,” Netanyahu said in a video post on Twitter. “A government that will restore the national pride of the citizens of Israel, so that you can walk the streets with your heads held high.”

What we have to do today is to return to the concept of Israeli unity. “Not to allow dark forces to tear us apart from within,” Lapid said in the televised statement, referring to the division that has deepened over Netanyahu’s 12-year premiership.

This development comes a week after President Biden announced plans for a July 14 visit to Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia. His visit will take place as planned, according to Israeli media, which said that he will meet with Lapid.