Israel: Naftali Bennett can continue to govern

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Naftali Bennett

Photo: Ariel Shalit / AP

Israel's eight-party government has been hanging by a thread since it was sworn in - and will continue to do so for the time being.

Because: A member of the left-liberal Meretz party has reportedly withdrawn her exit from the coalition.

The Israeli media reported on Sunday that she made the decision after discussions with Foreign Minister Jair Lapid and representatives of the Arab sector.

This means that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's government has regained 60 of the 120 seats in parliament.

This makes it harder for the opposition, led by ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to overthrow the government.

Withdrawal after fire letter

MP Ghaida Rinawi Suabi announced her departure from the coalition on Thursday.

She justified her step, among other things, with the actions of the Israeli police in the most recent confrontations on the Temple Mount (Al-Haram Al-Sharif) in Jerusalem.

In her letter of resignation, she was also shocked by police violence at the funeral of a reporter from Al-Jazeera TV station that was killed on Friday in Jerusalem.

"I can no longer support the existence of such a coalition that so shamefully bullies the society I come from," wrote the Arab MP.

Bennett's eight-party coalition lost its razor-thin majority in the Knesset last month after a member of the ruling Jamina party resigned.

The coalition survived two votes of no confidence.

Bennett's government was sworn in in mid-June last year.

The long-term political crisis in Israel, with four elections within two years, came to an end for the time being.

The coalition was supported by a total of eight parties from the right to the left spectrum - including for the first time an Arab party, Raam.

The Arab Raam party temporarily suspended its membership of the coalition last month because of the confrontations between Israeli security forces and Palestinians on the Temple Mount.

dop/dpa