Background:
From 2009-2021, Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister of Israel as head of the Likud Party, with support from other parties. Inter- and intra-party instability led to a series of 4 elections within 2 years to try to form a workable government: April 2019, September 2019, March 2020 and finally March 2021. Likud had been rocked by a corruption scandals, and Netanyahu was criticised even by hawkish right-wing parties for unnecessary provocation of violence.

After the March 2021 election, a seemingly-unlikely coalition formed government, united only by their disdain for Netanyahu. A deal was struck to rotate the Prime Ministership between Naftali Bennett of the conservative Yamina party, and Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party. Bennett will be Prime Minister for 2 years, followed by 2 years of Lapid.

The Coalition consists of the following parties:

Yamina (conservative)
Yesh Atid (centrist)
Blue and White (centrist)
New Hope (centre-right)
Yisrael Beiteinu (generally right wing but open to Palestinian statehood)
Labor (centre-left)
Meretz (socialist left)
United Arab List (politically moderate but mainly representing Israeli Arabs)

Mansour Abbas from the United Arab List has a cabinet position and although there have been Arabs in cabinet before (in the Olmet Labour government) this is the first time someone from an Arab party has held a cabinet position.

The government has held for a year now so (shrugs) maybe antipathy towards Netanyahu can work wonders.

However, yesterday the government lost its narrow majority due to the departure of Idit Silman. Commentators are suggesting that even if Silman were to join Netanyahu’s coalition, it would still not garner the numbers to govern. However it does push Israel closer to having to have another election and may inhibit the governing coalition’s ability to pass legislation. The only bloc currently outside of government that is not in Netanyahu’s camp is the Joint List, mostly supported by Arabs, Druze, Christians and other minorities but probably a bit too spicy politically to join this government.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/06/israel-naftali-bennett-loses-majority-mp-idit-silman-quits-coalition

Idit Silman’s announcement left Bennett’s coalition, an alliance of parties ranging from the Jewish right and Israeli doves to an Arab Muslim party, with 60 seats – the same as the opposition.

“I tried the path of unity. I worked a lot for this coalition,” Silman, a religious conservative who served as coalition chairperson, said in a statement. “Sadly, I cannot take part in harming the Jewish identity of Israel.”

On Monday, Silman lashed out at the health minister, Nitzan Horowitz, after he instructed hospitals to allow leavened bread products into their facilities during the upcoming Passover holiday, in line with a recent supreme court ruling reversing years of prohibition.

Jewish tradition bars leavened bread from the public domain during Passover.

“I am ending my membership of the coalition and will try to continue to talk my friends into returning home and forming a rightwing government,” Silman said. “I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.”