AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN

The leaders of Israel’s broad-based but severely weakened coalition government have thrown in the towel this week, after barely 12 months in office.

The country will head to the polls for its fifth elections in three years.

The country will head to the polls for its fifth elections in three years.

The country will head to the polls for its fifth elections in three years.

Israel politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, left, speaks during a joint statement with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Monday, June 20, 2022. Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. A parliamentary committee approved holding a preliminary vote to dissolve parliament on Wednesday, with a final vote expected early next week. Israeli law does not explicitly state that a politician under indictment may not become prime minister. Along with the bill to dissolve parliament, he said he would advance legislation on Wednesday to bar a lawmaker under indictment from assuming the premiership.

The incident trained a spotlight on the ongoing struggles of Israel's Arab citizens, a large minority that makes up about 20% of the population. But what happened after that, he said, was a series of mistakes by security guards unlike anything he had seen before. He also said he understands that Israeli security guards have a job to do. But he said there is an extreme minority of security guards who behave like Rambos, especially when dealing with Arabs. The incident began after the security guard requested from Khaldi to show his ID, according to security rules and regulations, Rosenfeld said.

But the first-place finish for Netanyahus party proved no guarantee of success. Netanyahu reacted harshly when Gantz on Wednesday proposed legislation that would prevent an indicted prime minister from continuing to serve. Addressing coalition members, the prime minister said Gantzs move undermines the foundations of Israeli democracy and subverts the will of the voter.Well stand strong against it, he vowed. Lieberman, once a close ally of the prime minister, reiterated a pledge not to team up with him. In the aftermath of Mondays vote, political tensions rose in tandem with fears of the novel coronavirus.

The words third election started to circulate among Israeli pundits even as Tuesdays first exit polls were released. Israels political volatility is such that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert believes a third election is inevitable. In an interview with The Times, the eventuality did not fill him with dread, as it does many other Israelis. AdvertisementThe difficulty in running a country is not an Israeli phenomenon, he said as the final voting figures became clear. Ehud Barak, another former prime minister, published an upbeat opinion column on Friday outlining his vision for Israels next government.

But the prime minister urged backers to wait for the complete tally. It was after 3 a.m. when the prime minister appeared onstage, sounding hoarse and looking fatigued. There is no electronic voting, and paper ballots are counted by hand, one by one, with observers of each political party observing. A consummate political survivor, the prime minister is nicknamed the magician, in part for his ability to stage miraculous escapes from difficult situations. The prime minister denies all the allegations against him.

He is a right-wing nationalist who once served as chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he shares a long political partnership. Lieberman resigned as Netanyahus defense minister in late 2018, believing the prime minister had been too soft when he agreed to a cease-fire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. AdvertisementIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, shakes hands with Yisrael Beiteinu party leader and former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem on Oct. 25, 2012. Israel votes on Sept. 17 in its second election in five months, determining whether to extend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's term as the country's longest-serving prime minister. Youre innocent until youre found guilty, she said, even if youre the prime minister.