Why Israel's government coalitions are fragile: An analysis

Report by Nicole Hajal, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The rise of the far right in Israel, accompanied by the decline of left-wing parties, particularly the Labor Party, and the emergence of centrist parties in the early 2000s, has made any government coalition reliant on small parties to form a majority that grants the government the "vote of confidence."

Coalitions have thus become the main feature of forming any government in Israel, complicating the political scene in the country. 

Observers blame the electoral system for the successive governments' failure to maintain a stable coalition, as evidenced between 2019 and 2022 when five election cycles took place and five attempts were made to form a government.

But the question remains: Why?

The Israeli electoral system is based on proportional representation. According to this system, voters vote for a party list rather than an individual. 

Any party or list must surpass 3.25 percent of the votes to be represented in the Knesset. 

This threshold is low, leading to the entry of many parties into the Knesset, making it difficult for any major party to secure enough votes on its own to obtain a majority of 61 parliamentary seats, which is required to form a government.

To prevent "weak" coalitions and avoid obstruction by excluding small parties, several attempts have been made over the years to raise the electoral threshold: From 1 percent to 1.5 percent in 1988, to 2 percent in 2006, and finally to 3.25 percent in 2015. 

All of this has not prevented small parties from entering the Knesset, and thus the coalition dilemma weighs heavily on any ministerial formation, including Benjamin Netanyahu's government.