As a result of Idit Silman’s resignation from the anti-Benjamin Netanyahu coalition, Israel’s current government lost its majority in parliament on Wednesday.
There are 60 seats in Israel’s parliament for the ruling coalition and 60 seats in parliament for the opposition, which is led by former Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The 120-member parliament is backed by a coalition of Israeli right-, center-, and left-wing parties, totaling 61 members.
A member of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina Party, Silman said she “could not continue undermining the Jewish identity of the State of Israel” in reference to her disagreement with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz over the distribution of Chametz – bread – in hospitals, which is prohibited by Jewish law during the Passover holiday. According to the Jerusalem Post,
To be safe, Silman agreed to join Netanyahu’s coalition and take up tenth place on Netanyahu’s election ballot, according to a news channel.
Nir Orbach, a member of Bennett’s Yamina Party, may also leave the coalition, according to a local news channel.
According to the Jerusalem Post, a government could be formed without holding elections if the opposition bloc gains a majority in parliament.
