How five elections in four years finally broke Israel's political deadlock
In short: Between 2019 and 2022, Israel faced a relentless cycle of inconclusive votes and collapsing coalitions. After years of parliamentary instability, the November 2022 election finally delivered a decisive majority, ending a period where no leader could muster enough support to govern.
The path to the 202 and 25th Knesset was paved by a profound period of political crisis. Following the 2018–2022 instability, Israel had endured four inconclusive elections—in April and September 2019, 2020, and 2021. The 2020 unity government between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz collapsed in December due to a budget dispute, while the subsequent 2021 rotation government between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid lost its majority after MK Idit Silman resigned in April 2022.
The collapse of the 24th Knesset was triggered by internal fractures. Beyond Silman's departure, other members like Nir Orbach left the coalition, citing concerns over political hostage-taking by left-wing members. By June 2022, Bennett and Lapid announced a bill to dissolve the Knesset. This led to a caretaker period under Prime Minister Lapid until the November 1 vote.
The 2022 election results fundamentally shifted the parliamentary landscape. The right-wing national camp, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, secured a parliamentary majority. While the right-wing saw gains, the left-wing and Arab parties experienced losses. Following the vote, Netanyahu announced on December 21 that he had successfully formed a 64-member coalition, with the thirty-seventh government being sworn in on December 29.
The electoral process itself was a complex web of shifting alliances. Out of 40 registered parties, only ten managed to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold. The system utilized a closed-list, proportional representation model, where the Bader–Ofer method was used to distribute leftover seats, a mechanism that slightly favors larger lists and encourages party alliances.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2022 Israeli legislative election
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