Bennett announces that he will not stand in the next elections in Israel

June 29. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, has announced to the members of his party, Yamina, that he will not stand in the next elections in the context of the imminent dissolution of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament.

Bennett, who will hand over the position of prime minister to his coalition partner, Yair Lapid, will be replaced by Ayelet Shaked, his number two in the party, ahead of the elections, the fifth in Israel in three years, according to the newspaper. ‘The Times of Israel’.

“Although our political ideologies do not align, I have great respect for him,” said the Minister of Health and leader of the Meretz party, Nitzan Horowitz, in response to this decision, while the far-right leader and former member of Bennett’s party, Bezalel Smotrich has said that “it has been the public that has gotten tired of him and has thrown him out”, as reported by the newspaper ‘Haaretz’.

Bennett’s withdrawal also occurs in the face of the imminent dissolution of the Knesset. Lapid, who will assume command, will not make dramatic decisions in his new government, according to sources from the Kan public channel, and will make his position compatible with the current Foreign Minister, in addition to keeping most of the advisers of Bennett.

The Israeli Parliament approved in first reading the bill for its dissolution on Tuesday. This vote resulted in 53 votes in favor and none against after hours of negotiations and delays in presenting the project to a vote.

The Government lost its slim majority -which reached 61 seats when the Executive was formed- amid major tensions within the coalition, which finally led to the Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, and the Foreign Minister , Yair Lapid, to announce on June 20 that his efforts to keep the Executive assembled have been unsuccessful.

The current government took power in June 2021 after twelve consecutive years of Netanyahu as Prime Minister of Israel. The coalition, however, is made up of eight parties that cover the entire political spectrum after a historic agreement to avoid new elections, after four elections had to be held in two years due to the inability to form majorities.