Formation of Government in Israel

Public Policy in Democracies

How Government is Formed in Israel

Public policies and democracies are central to the establishment and running of a government. This is no different for Israel, which is one of the nations that has undergone multiple elections in the quest for stable administration. Netanyahu's leadership in Israel can be an ideal reference point in understanding how Government is formed in Israel. It also serves as a perfect scenario to support the quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson, "That government is best which governs least" (Monticello.org, n.d). Israel adopts a parliamentary democracy that integrates the executive, legislative and judicial structures. The institutions of governance are primarily the Presidency, the Government, the Knesset (parliament), the state controller, and the Judiciary (Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, n.d). The Government, which constitutes ministers, is the executive authority in Israel charged with running affairs of the Government internally and externally besides responding to security matters. The law requires the Government to serve for four years. However, this tenure can reduce when the prime minister resigns, gets impeached, dies, or when the Government replaces the prime minister with an acting member from the Knesset. In the latter scenario and amidst a vote of no confidence, the prime minister and the associated Government hold their position until the constitution of the new Government (Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, n.d).

The formation of this Government follows a series of consultations. The president presents a member of parliament intending to charge him with the responsibility of constituting the Government. It is essential to note that Israel's president is primarily ceremonial with minimal political roles. The chosen Knesset member is expected to share a list of ministers who will form the incoming Government. This should be complete within 28 days after being bestowed with the responsibility. The Knesset approves the ministers, after which they serve in different capacities, such as heading a ministry. The chosen ministers must be residents and citizens of Israel and not required to be Knesset members, although that is often the case. When the Government and the prime minister approve, the ministers can appoint deputy ministers, and the latter should be Knesset members. The formed Government develops structures for decision-making and other roles with formal meetings every week and provision for meetings as needs arise. Besides, the Government can use ministerial committees to meet its responsibilities. Due to the lack of enough Knesset quorum, Israel's Government has been through parties and coalitions (Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles, n.d).

A typical example is the recent dissolution of parliament to bring down the Government by Naftali Bennet. This comes just one year after the Prime Minister assumed office, prompting another election set for November 1, making this the fifth election within the legal timeframe of four years. Bennett ran the Government through a coalition, but it increasingly became challenging to govern. These events have presented Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served the longest, with an opportunity for a comeback. As a result of the dissolution, Yair Lapid has taken up the role of acting prime minister and caretaker of the Government. He will retain the capacity during the election and negotiation phase that encompasses forming a government with at least a majority of 61 seats in parliament (Kershner, 2022). These events demonstrate how Government is formed in Israel.

The Government of Israel follows a proportional electoral representation, making it impossible for any single party to command the majority in parliament. Indeed, the defeat of Netanyahu was powered by the formation of coalitions where larger parties sought the support of the smaller ones who cooperated, intending to protect their interest to lead to disproportionate powers in the end. For instance, Bennett led a small party but served with an eight-party coalition that integrated multiple opponents holding diverse political ideologies (Kershner, 2022). Liebermann (2021) notes that Bennett's victory was with a narrow margin of 60 to 59 through the weirdest coalitions ever witnessed in Israel. Indeed, the coalition included an Arab party which was one of a kind in the formation of the Government of Israel. The author indicates that Bennett was aware of the political challenges that came with diversity. He was keen to warn about political polarization, which later became evident during his Government's dissolution.

It is essential to understand the interests that influence the formation of Government in Israel. Netanyahu had served the longest in Israel's history, and the political spheres were experiencing the power of political dominance and a feeling that they needed a government that ruled least. Indeed, according to Al Jazeera (2022), the central point of unity among the coalition partners was to oppose Netanyahu, making it hard to remain united after meeting their principal objective. Each party had to pursue their interests in developing policies, especially the Palestinian statehood, religion, and West Bank occupation. The author adds that the differences led to the defection of members and the loss of the majority in parliament. The effect is a lack of power in passing legislation that weakens the Government.

Comparison of the Israeli governing system to the French, British, and US systems

The French Government follows parliamentary democracy but also integrates a presidential political system. The prime minister is the Government head and is appointed by the president. Unlike Israel, where the president is primarily ceremonial, in France, the president is the most powerful political figure and is elected by the citizens (European Committee of the Regions, n.d). On the other hand, the British Government follows a constitutional monarchy where the queen functions as the head of state; however, it does not play an open political role. The winning party shapes the Government in the House of Commons(Taucar, 2014). The Prime minister is the Government head and appoints ministers, just like in Israel. In the US, state governments imitate the structure of the Federal Government. It is a republic form of Government that includes the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature. These bodies have distinct roles, just like in Israel's system.

Recommendation

It is essential to note the US has a two-party system with the president elected by the Electoral College (USAGov, n.d). The two-party system minimizes internal conflicts, unlike in Israel, where governance is established through integrating many parties. Thus, the US government model is a better choice for Israel to reduce the frequency of elections and challenges in administration.

Minority Government

A minority government is established through a coalition or party agreement where the ruling party seeks support from other parties to attain majority support. The ruling party does not have the majority seats in the legislature like in the case of Sweden. In such governments, the ruling party's power is highly influenced by other coalition partners, making it challenging for the Government to last longer (Cheibub et al., 2019). This form of Government cannot work in Israel. Indeed, the transformation of Israel's Government into a minority after the resignation of a member demonstrates the challenges of minority rule. Consequently, the country is compelled to head into another election (Kershner, 2022).