Haaretz reports:
The Knesset voted Wednesday night to dissolve itself after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition, sending Israel to a new election mere seven weeks after the last one.
At the heart of the impasse was the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students: Yisrael Beiteinu’s Avigdor Lieberman, without whom Netanyahu can’t form a coalition, refused to back down on the bill’s terms, while ultra-Orthodox parties claimed they have already yielded enough ground.
The New York Times reports:
Seven weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “a night of tremendous victory” in Israel’s election, his failure to form a government by midnight Wednesday has turned into a stunning debacle for him and thrust Israel into a new election.
Israelis will return to the ballot box in about three months, the first time in the country’s history that it has been forced to hold a new national election because of a failure to form a government after the previous one.
LIVE UPDATES: Israel heading to new election in as parliament votes to dissolve following Netanyahu’s failure to form coalitionhttps://t.co/NuYrE3IGPh
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 29, 2019
Kushner and U.S. ambassador arrive in Israel in the midst of political crisis that could result in new electionhttps://t.co/wKEeH7ExRi
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 29, 2019
#Netanyahu squeaked home in the narrowest of victories 6 weeks ago. He’ll have to do it all again in 3 months time after failing to do a deal to continue as #Israel’s PM.https://t.co/iSRrrXnTRX
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) May 29, 2019
There are only two positive aspects to the absurd spectacle of Israel — 7 weeks after holding elections -going to new ones: first there will be no immunity law or effort to undermine Israel's Supreme Court; and second, if he's smart, Kushner will shelve his peace plan.
— Aaron David Miller (@aarondmiller2) May 29, 2019