Will Israel’s Next Government Last Longer than a Container of Hummus?

In the end, Britain’s Liz Truss didn’t last longer in 10 Downing Street than the head of lettuce. Soon, we’ll need to start wondering whether the next Israeli governing coalition will last longer than a container of hummus.

This week, Israelis go to the polls for the fifth time in three years. One may hope that this election finally leads to a clear mandate and the construction of a reasonably stable government, probably led by either Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud or Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid. More likely, though, we’re in for a dreary repeat of the past few rounds: a virtual tie that either does not permit the formation of any government or else only tolerates one so threadbare and self-contradictory that it will be on life support from the moment it is formed.

If something can’t go on, it might still go on—for a surprisingly long period of time. First-world countries such Belgium, Italy, and Germany have been able to carry on in recent times with weak “caretaker” governments, frequently collapsing governments, or no government at all.