Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Nov 07, 2025

Israel faces fifth election in four years after parliament votes to dissolve itself

Israel faces fifth election in four years after parliament votes to dissolve itself

Ex-talk show host Yair Lapid has been appointed caretaker PM after Naftali Bennett stepped down following the collapse of Israel's coalition government - which could pave the way for fallen leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, to return to power.

Israel's parliament has voted to dissolve itself, sparking the country's fifth election in less than four years.

Former talk show host Yair Lapid, currently foreign minister, will take control of the Knesset from Naftali Bennett - Israel's shortest-serving prime minister - from just after midnight on Friday.

The government, a coalition of ideologically diverse parties including an Arab faction, collapsed just over a year after it was formed in a historic move that unseated long-term leader Benjamin Netanyahu from power after 12 years.

The motion to dissolve parliament passed with 92 in favour and none opposed, after days of disputes over a new election date.

Israel will choose its new leader when the vote is held on 1 November, it has now been decided.

Mr Lapid, 58, will become the 14th person to hold office in Jerusalem until a new leader is officially announced.

He was an architect of the outgoing coalition government - a collective of eight parties across the political spectrum which tried but failed to find common ground following a prolonged period of gridlock.

Four deadlocked elections in the past three years have been described as referendums on Mr Netanyahu's fitness to serve while facing corruption charges.

But the collapse of the Israeli government could see a possible return to power for the former leader, who remains a significant figure in Israeli politics.

Benjamin Netanyahu speaks ahead of the vote on a bill to dissolve parliament.


Mr Netanyahu, 72, who is accused of accepting bribes, fraud, and breach of trust, has denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Lapid, who leads a centre-left party, is expected to campaign as caretaker PM to keep the job as the main alternative to Mr Netanyahu.

His popularity is expected to be bolstered when US President Joe Biden visits Israel next week.

However, polls conducted by Israel media show Mr Netanyahu and his allies are gaining momentum - but it is unclear whether they would win enough votes to form a 61-seat majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Foreign minister Yair Lapid will assume the role of acting PM.


But if no party succeeds in achieving a majority, the country will face a fresh election.

Mr Bennett, 50, has ruled himself out of the race, revealing how he would be taking a hiatus from politics.

He tweeted a picture of himself to his 502,000 followers on Thursday morning, along with a caption in Hebrew translating as "thanks", together with a heart and Israeli flag emoji.

Under his leadership, the government failed to renew an emergency law preserving the special legal status of Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

The legislation is considered essential for many Israelis.

Since he was ousted last year, Mr Netanyahu has spent his time as opposition leader actively undermining the coalition and encouraging opposition parties to vote against government bills, culminating in the defeat of the West Bank legislation.

Addressing parliament, the former Israeli PM said: "They promised change, they spoke about healing, they tried an experiment, and the experiment failed.

"We are the only alternative: a strong, stable, responsible nationalist government."

Leader of the Islamist Ra'am faction, Mansour Abbas, joined the coalition to secure better funding for Israel's Arab minority - which accounts for 20% of the population.

Israel's Arab citizens battle widespread discrimination due to their close ties with and support for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
MrBeast’s ‘Beast Land’ Arrives in Riyadh as Part of Riyadh Season 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Asserts Saudi Pro League Outperforms Ligue 1 Amid Scoring Feats
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
Saudi Arabia Pauses Major Stretch of ‘The Line’ Megacity Amid Budget Re-Prioritisation
Saudi Arabia Launches Instant e-Visa Platform for Over 60 Countries
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Trump at White House on November Eighteenth
Trump Predicts Saudi Arabia Will Normalise with Israel Ahead of 18 November Riyadh Visit
Entrepreneurial Momentum in Saudi Arabia Shines at Riyadh Forward 2025 Summit
Saudi Arabia to Host First-Ever International WrestleMania in 2027
Saudi Arabia to Host New ATP Masters Tournament from 2028
Trump Doubts Saudi Demand for Palestinian State Before Israel Normalisation
Viral ‘Sky Stadium’ for Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Debunked as AI-Generated
Deal Between Saudi Arabia and Israel ‘Virtually Impossible’ This Year, Kingdom Insider Says
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Washington While Israel Recognition Remains Off-Table
Saudi Arabia Poised to Channel Billions into Syria’s Reconstruction as U.S. Sanctions Linger
Smotrich’s ‘Camels’ Remark Tests Saudi–Israel Normalisation Efforts
Saudi Arabia and Qatar Gain Structural Edge in Asian World Cup Qualification
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
Fincantieri and Saudi Arabia Agree to Build Advanced Maritime Ecosystem in Kingdom
Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Accelerates AI Ambitions Through Major Partnerships and Infrastructure Push
IOC and Saudi Arabia End Ambitious 12-Year Esports Games Partnership
CSL Seqirus Signs Saudi Arabia Pact to Provide Cell-Based Flu Vaccines and Build Local Production
Qualcomm and Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Team Up to Deploy 200 MW AI Infrastructure
Saudi Arabia’s Economy Expands Five Percent in Third Quarter Amid Oil Output Surge
China’s Vice President Han Zheng Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Trade Concerns Loom
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
×