Israel towards early elections, government scatters parliament

Israeli Prime Minister Naphtali Bennet's office announced Monday that its eight-party coalition will be dissolved and the country will go to new parliamentary electionse.

The elections, expected to be held in October or November, would be the fifth in Israel in the last three years. Bennetts tried to hold together his coalition of eight parties since taking office a year ago, but evacuations have left the alliance without a majority in parliament for more than two months.

Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to submit a vote to disperse parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. Israel's current foreign minister, Yair Lapid, will then serve as interim prime minister.

Monday's announcement comes after weeks of speculation that the most diverse coalition in Israel's history was on the verge of collapse. Former Prime Minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyah, who is currently on trial for corruption charges, vowed to bring down the coalition and return to power.

Netanyahu said the near dissolution of parliament was the big “news for millions of Israelis and said it would form “a broad nationalist government led by Likud” after the upcoming elections.

Polls have predicted that Netanyah's “party, Licusd”, will again appear as the largest party in the country. But it remains unclear whether he would be able to receive the necessary support of most lawmakers to form a new government.