The Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, approved its dissolution on Thursday and called for elections next November 1. These will be the fifth election in three years. This highlights the political blockade that exists in Israel.
On Wednesday, Naftali Benjaminnet, a nationalist, declared that he will quit politics following the failure of his great coalition government over the past twelve months that saw Benjamin Netanyahu removed from power. The eight-party coalition that included the nationalist right, pacifist left and center, as well as an Arab political force, lost their absolute majority in parliament two months ago.
Under the government pact, which established a rotating executive chief, the centrist Yair Lepid, who is also the foreign minister and leader for the party with most seats in coalition, will take over as acting prime minister.
