Canceling the upcoming election is a bad idea. However, if we use Naftali Bennett as an indicator for the direction the main political tide is flowing, doing so is probably what many if not most in the political arena want.
On Tuesday night, Bennett called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White co-leader Benny Gantz to agree to a unity government and cancel this "silly election."
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The snap election forced upon Israelis was born from a combination of circumstances that would be considered rare, were our political reality not what it has been in recent years. On one hand, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman maliciously steered coalition talks into a dead end; on the other hand, Blue and White still isn't ready to lead.
In theory, Blue and White should have been generally amenable to most of the Likud's policies in terms of economics, diplomacy and values. However, they slapped a veto on Netanyahu due to a questionable criminal investigation that will likely drag on for years.
Therefore, considering the current parliamentary constellation, it was both possible and necessary to establish a stable government. The political game, however, is played according to certain rules. The Knesset's drastic decision to dissolve itself and call for a new election is significant. This political whirlwind is a clear sign of instability.
Such is Lieberman's great political achievement. From a country with a stable and effective government, we instantaneously became a country stuck in a tailspin. We joined the ignominious European club headed by Great Britain, whose government has been incapacitated for over a year now because of Brexit.
In Israel, where an out-of-control judiciary worked to paralyze the political system, we could have been predicted this situation before the April election. That election was supposed to resolve the imbroglio, but that's not what happened, as we now know.
For the sake of the country, now that the decision was made to hold another election for the purpose of hammering out the political kinks, it must be honored. A Blue and White-Likud unity government would come with certain benefits, but there are priorities on the national agenda right now and a right-wing government is needed to pass a number of necessary judicial reforms.
Canceling the election – without Likud leaders knowing with certainty they can form a stable government – is a dubious proposition.
It is worth noting that if Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein is the one spearheading such a move, there is apparently a consensus.
