Israeli government began to crumble on Wednesday after Yamina MK and the coalition whip Idit Silman announced her resignation from the government, Israeli media reported.
With this, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government loses its majority in Knesset, leaving it neck-and-neck with the opposition at 60-60. If an additional person were to leave the coalition, the government could be brought down in a law brought by the Opposition that would disperse the Knesset, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Should the Opposition have a majority, they would be able to attempt to form a government without even needing to go to elections. The more coalition members that defect, the easier this option becomes for them.
Silman said that she “could not take it anymore,” and that she could not continue undermining the so-called “Jewish identity of the State of Israel”, a reference to a disagreement she had with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz over allowing chametz, forbidden foods during Passover, into hospitals over the Jewish holiday.
Former PM Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Silman on her decision, thanking her “in the name of many people in Israel that waited for this moment.”
However, Labor MK Gilad Kariv said it was clear that the disagreement over the chametz was “not the real issue,” adding that the “government was always careful when it came to matters of religion and state. ”
Silman ditched the coalition after she was reportedly offered the 10th spot in the Likud Party list in a future election and the position of Health Minister should the party – led by Netanyahu – successfully form an alternative government.
Source: Israeli media
