Israel’s Governments Rarely Complete Terms Without Crisis, Netanyahu’s Current Cabinet Among Few Exceptions
With the upcoming elections on October 27, Israel’s 37th government marks a rare milestone as the first in decades to complete its full term without the prime minister resigning or the Knesset being dissolved early. This government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is the first since Golda Meir’s during the Yom Kippur War to avoid early elections despite facing the October 7 massacre and subsequent multi-front war. Historically, Israeli governments have often ended prematurely due to resignations, no-confidence votes, or political crises, with many serving only months before collapsing.
Since Israel’s founding, 37 governments have been formed, with some lasting mere months and others extending beyond four or five years, often due to serving as caretaker governments after Knesset dissolutions. The article chronicles key government endings, including David Ben-Gurion’s multiple resignations over internal disputes, Golda Meir’s resignation amid public outrage following the Agranat Commission report after the Yom Kippur War, and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, which led to government resignation and early elections.
Other notable government collapses include Menachem Begin’s resignation in 1983 during the Lebanon War, the 1990 no-confidence vote that briefly toppled Yitzhak Shamir’s government, and Ariel Sharon’s coalition breakdowns related to the Gaza disengagement plan. Ehud Olmert’s government ended amid criminal investigations, while Netanyahu’s second government (2009-2013) was unusually stable but still ended with early elections due to budget disputes.
Recent governments have been marked by instability, with the Netanyahu-Gantz unity government dissolving in 2020 after budget disagreements, and the Bennett-Lapid government losing its majority and dissolving in 2022. Despite the Knesset’s dissolution, governments continue as caretaker administrations until successors are sworn in, meaning the official end date of a government is the inauguration of the next. Netanyahu’s current government, formed in December 2022, is expected to be among the few to nearly complete a full four-year term amid ongoing judicial reforms and security challenges.
This historical overview underscores that Israeli governments rarely end their terms routinely; instead, their conclusions often follow unforeseen crises that reshape the political landscape and the country itself.
