Major cracks are appearing recently in the coalition as one crisis after another seems to happen on a weekly, if not daily basis.

Last week, the Islamist Ra’am party boycotted coalition votes due to Bedouin-related legislation being delayed, which meant that the coalition had to withdraw all its legislation from the agenda as it would lack a majority. Meanwhile, the opposition took advantage of the situation and advanced three bills.

This week, it is Defense Minister Benny Gantz who is boycotting coalition votes after the Labor and Meretz parties refused to approve a Blue and White sponsored pension plan for career soldiers.

That crisis has yet to be solved and another blow occurred on Tuesday when Strategic Planning Minister Eli Avidar announced that he is resigning from the cabinet and is returning to the Knesset as an MK, the first minister from the coalition to do so.

Avidar, who quit the Yisrael Beiteinu party in June and became an independent MK, slammed the government for its “too strict” coronavirus regulations and excoriated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as “hysterical” and just another version of Netanyahu.

“Whoever shares the hysteria that Bennett is leading is partner to the economic collapse of the Israeli economy,” Avidar said, and also accused Bennett of not being committed to adhering to the rotation agreement with Yair Lapid. “He grew up on the knees of Netanyahu and he doesn’t intend to free himself of him. He copies him in every move.”

However, Avidar said that he will continue to ensure that the government completes its term. “I’m returning to the Knesset in order to preserve the coalition but the survival of the government isn’t a value unto itself…it needs to keep its promises.”

Despite his reassurances, Avidar’s exit is a blow to the coalition since he will no longer be subject to coalition discipline on votes.

Avidar has been dissatisfied with the government from the beginning but his dissatisfaction grew after Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern, whom he was hoping to replace, withdrew his candidacy for the head of the Jewish Agency, leaving Avidar with the junior position of Strategic Planning Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)