Israeli Coalition Continues To Flounder As Rebel MKs Stall Legislation, Make Fresh Demands

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel’s faltering coalition continued to flounder at the end of the week, as a number of rebel MKs continued their defiant stances despite attempts by their respective parties to persuade them to quit their seats and allow other MKs to join who will maintain the party line.

The chief obstacles for the coalition are from the left-wing Meretz and Arab Ra’am parties as well as from the right-wing New Hope and Yamina parties. Meretz MK Rinawie Zoabi and Ra’am MK Mazen Ghanaim are facing pressure to resign after voting with the opposition against a measure to renew the application of Israeli law to settlers in Judea and Samaria. Both lawmakers refused on ideological grounds to vote for the law, which is usually automatically renewed by governments every five years and allows Israeli law to apply to the region.

Protesters gathered outside the Nof Galil house of Zoabi Saturday night and warned that her conduct could bring down the coalition “and lead to a government of darkness led by [Itamar] Ben Gvir, [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Benjamin] Netanyahu.”

Ghanaim was also facing pressure to resign but Ra’am have realized that the next person on their list is a fiery extreme anti-Israel zealot from Umm Al-Fahm who would also refuse to vote with the government on the current legislation.

On Friday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid warned the coalition’s various rebels that “anyone endangering this government from within should know they’ll pay a price.”

However the coalition is threatened on the right-wing as well, since New Hope leader Gidon Saar said that if the Judea and Samaria law doesn’t pass the coalition “has no right to exist.” Yamina MK Nir Orbach said after the failed vote this week that “all options are now open” and he is reportedly in contacts with the Likud over a possible defection and creation of a right-wing government together with New Hope and Yamina defectors.

Sa’ar has promised to submit the law a second time this week to the Knesset after it failed last week. If the law doesn’t pass, Sa’ar may also bring down the government in return for a high-profile appointment in a Netanyahu government which may be formed in the current Knesset.