Israel Election 2.0
Ben Sales in The Times of Israel examines the basic issues of why Israel, for the first time, will have a second election. The new election is scheduled for September.
The reason for the new election is because following his victory for Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu could not put together a government. “Netanyahu’s Likud Party did win the most votes, but not an outright majority in the 120-seat parliament. In order to govern in Israel’s parliamentary system, Netanyahu needed to persuade other parties to form a coalition with him.” Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Why? Because “some would be partners have refused to compromise.” With all the efforts to form the coalition, they failed.
Ben postulates that the coalition failed due to “Israel’s fractious parliamentary system, strong egos, and lingering resentments.” Nobody wanted to have a second election, President Rivlin said that he would do everything in his power to prevent it. “But seven weeks later, Netanyahu has failed to form a coalition.” Along with these issues, the prime minister’s own legal issues perhaps played a part. So, with a dissolved Knesset, Israel now looks at a second election on September 17. It could have new alliances, mergers, “or Israel could be stuck with the same problem four months from now.” And because the April election didn’t work, “they’re going to try again.”
Pray for the elections in September, that GOD’s will be done (Daniel 2:20,21; 1 Timothy 2;1-4).
(Source: Ben Sales, The Times of Israel)
