I know, the title appears to be a mistake – a copy of a title from a few months ago, but it isn’t. Barring any sudden breakthroughs on the budget crisis in the next week or so, Israel will head to another round of elections in three months.
Netanyahu and Gantz are in a power sharing agreement that no one believes Netanyahu has an interest in holding too. The only way out of the agreement is for Netanyahu to run out the clock on the budget debate until August 25th. This will be the trigger for new elections.
Why elections…again?
Netanyahu and most voters on the right finally see the polls giving the right block a clear victory, albeit one without a clear Likud win. Interestingly enough, the threat to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reign is not from the Left bu the right.
Naftali Bennett’s rightwing Yamina party is gaining rapidly among the right as more and more rightwing and even some centrists see Bennett as a capable leader who can replace Netanyahu.
Given the volatility in Israel’s economy and regional instability, Israel’s 4th election could wind up being the most surprising of all.