The government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid suffered a serious blow on Thursday when another Member of Knesset announced that she is leaving their governing coalition.
Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi sent a letter to Bennett and Lapid saying that she no longer saw herself as part of the coalition. She also announced that she would not accept her appointment as Israel's next consul general in Shanghai.
"I entered politics because I saw myself as an emissary of Arab society, which I represent," Zoabi wrote. "Unfortunately over the last few months for narrow political reasons, the heads of the coalition preferred to strengthen their right side. Again and again, the heads of the coalition preferred to take harsh hawkish right-wing steps on key issues related to Arab society."
She cited the Al Aqsa, the Temple Mount, Sheikh Jarrah, settlements, house demolitions, the Citizenship Law and land confiscations in the Negev.
"When it came to the needs of Arab society and communities, housing, employment and education, they were indifferent," said Zoabi.
Rinawie Zoabi did not tell Bennett, Lapid, Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz or even her staff about her decision before she published her letter.
According to the coalition agreement, if the government is brought down by an MK from Meretz, Bennett would remain caretaker prime minister during elections and until a new government is formed.
Zoabi's departure will give the opposition a majority of 61 to 59 MKs and could bring about an election in the fall and as early as mid-September.
Likud faction chairman Yariv Levin responded that his party would soon return to lead the government.
"The Bennett-Lapid government that failed and lost its way now also lost its majority in the Knesset and no longer has the right to exist," Levin said.
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