Lapid calls on Smotrich to join efforts to bring down coalition, force new election

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid calls on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in advancing a bill to dissolve the Knesset and hold new elections in the wake of Smotrich’s statement that he had “lost faith that the prime minister is able and wants to lead the IDF to a decisive victory.”

“In your own words, you admitted that the prime minister’s policy is not leading to a decisive outcome in Gaza, is not returning our hostages, and is not winning the war,” writes Lapid. “You also added that you can no longer stand behind the prime minister and back him up.”

“In light of this, I call on you to join me in a joint letter to the Knesset speaker in which we will announce a substantial change of circumstances that justifies resubmitting the bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset,” Lapid adds.

Lapid announced last month that he had begun the process of collecting 61 signatures in order to submit a so-called “change of circumstances” letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana requesting permission to hold a vote on dissolving the Knesset. An opposition-backed bill to disperse the Knesset and call early elections failed to advance in June after ultra-Orthodox lawmakers backed away from their threats to bring down the government over a deadlock in efforts to legislate exemptions from army service for the young men of their community.

Under parliamentary rules, because the legislation was defeated, lawmakers have to wait six months to bring another Knesset dissolution bill to a vote. However, according to the Knesset bylaws, a defeated bill can be submitted for reconsideration before six months have passed if circumstances have significantly changed.

Such a change can be shown by collecting 61 MKs’ signatures.