As surprising as it might be, the decision to dissolve the Knesset and hold a new election is not unreasonable, and actually reflects the results of the April election. People can talk as much as they want to about tactical errors in the coalition negotiations, but the bottom line is that the first round of the 2019 election ended in a deadlock. The right-wing camp made it to the finish line with only 60 seats, and no matter how you spin it, that isn't enough. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who did not join the coalition in the last election and operated as an independent all the way, just exploited the opportunity for his own purposes, whatever they are.
Anyone who was looking for a hint that Netanyahu was failing to assemble a coalition could have found it on Monday, when a decision to put Matanyahu Engelmen up for state comptroller rather than Netanyahu's preferred candidate, Professor Avraham Diskin. All the signs were there these past few days. Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Lieberman both objected, but while Deri was flexible and agreed to meet with Diskin, Lieberman refused to hold any discussions and vetoed the appointment without any justification or a single explanation, thereby torpedoing an excellent appointment by the Right. When Netanyahu, at the height of his political strength with 35 seats, can't dictate who the future state comptroller will be, it's a sign that there was never a coalition to dictate to.
The state comptroller saga is more or less what would have happened if Lieberman had given in and joined the coalition. Every decision, piece of legislation, or policy would have been stonewalled. The tension with the haredim, his attempts to distinguish himself from Netanyahu, the upcoming pre-indictment hearing and indictment that are just around the corner would all have made a government an ongoing nightmare.
If there is a lesson to be learned from this farce, it's that the Right must never be complacent or arrogant. The fact that New Right leader Naftali Bennett intends to run again is nothing less than a scandal. One of the reasons for the current failure is that so many right-wing votes were wasted on irresponsible gallivanting by Bennett, who abandoned his party at the last minute and put together a bizarre list, ran a campaign that never took off, and ended up losing. His followers can accuse the Likud of "stealing" their votes until the end of time, but in their hearts, they know Bennett was wrong. Even if no one had "stolen" anything and Bennett had wound up with five or even six seats, is that a result that would have justified the huge risk he took?
If Bennett is responsible, he will opt to sit this one out, or at least return to the established right-wing parties. In this election, there is only room for one opportunistic megalomaniac who will bring down the Right, and he speaks Russian.
