Israel To Go To Early Elections

According to my sources, PM Benyamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud coalition has decided to call early elections. Since Israel is a parliamentary democracy, the ruling party can call elections at any time, and Coalition Chairman Ze'ev Elkins of Likud has submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset which will probably come to a vote early next week some time...probably after PM Netanyahu completes his initial period of shiva (mourning) for his father Benzion (Z"L) who passed away last week.

This is a calculated political move on the part of Netanyahu and Likud. The polls show them and the other center right parties well ahead, which would make for an even stronger and more unified coalition behind Netanyahu and Likud. Elections will probably be held before the Jewish High Holidays which come in October this year. It's probably no coincidence that they'll also be held before our own elections here in America.

Labor at this point is moribund and Kadima is in disarray, so elections this soon would give new Kadima party head Shaul Mofaz very little time to to get his act together.They will almost certainly lose seats. TV anchorman Yair Lapid's new party is not yet fully organized and may not even be a major factor by the time elections roll around.

It will be interesting to see whether Israeli defense Minister Ehud Barack's small splinter party which broke away from Labor last year and stayed in Netanyahu's coalition will attempt to run on its own, since it's uncertain how many votes they'd get. If not, Netanyahu can still reappoint Ehud Barack as defense minister if he wins the new elections, but I have a sneaking suspicion there's going to be some horse trading involved in the new coalition after the elections that might either see Ehud Barack out of government or reappointed as a minister without portfolio.