Israel Govt loses majority as lawmaker quits

Jerusalem, April 6

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An Israeli lawmaker quit the government’s wafer-thin ruling coalition over a dispute about Passover matzo rules in hospitals on Wednesday, throwing the fragile alliance into disarray without a majority in Parliament.

Backbencher Idit Silman’s departure raises the possibility of new parliamentary elections less than a year after the government took office. While Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government remains in power, it is now hamstrung in the 120-seat parliament and will likely struggle to function.

Bennett’s coalition of eight political parties— all united solely in their opposition to former PM Benjamin Netanyahu — now holds 60 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.—