Israel’s Coalition Loses Majority as Whip Idit Silman Makes Dramatic Exit

Israel’s government looked set to crumble Wednesday after coalition whip Idit Silman announced she is quitting to form a new government, causing the ruling coalition headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to lose its majority.

Silman, who did not inform Bennett of her move in advance, said she was resigning over the “damage” to Jewish identity in Israel.

“The time has come to form a national, Jewish and Zionist government,” she wrote in a letter announcing her resignation.

She called on Bennett to “join hands and express the values for which we were elected.”

“I will not abet the harming of the Jewish identity of the State of Israel and the people of Israel. I will continue to try to persuade my friends to return home and form a right-wing government,” she said. “I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Another government can be formed in this Knesset.”

Silman, who is a member of Knesset in Bennett’s Yamina party, chose to defect after she clashed with Israel’s Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz over his order to hospitals to allow visitors and patients to bring in non-kosher-for-Passover food, known as hametz, during Passover — thereby contravening Jewish law.

“People during the Holocaust fasted on Passover so as not to eat hametz, and a minister in the State of Israel within a coalition like ours unfortunately says to introduce chametz,” she said.

Losing its 61-MK majority means the ruling coalition government would require support by the opposition, led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in order to advance any legislation.

Israeli media reported Silman made a deal with Netanyahu to form a government with his Likud party in return for receiving the Health Ministry portfolio.

Following her announcement, Netanyahu congratulated Silman and urged other members of the coalition to follow suit.

“Today we are happy – congratulating MK Idit Silman on making the right decision. We all accept her with a warm embrace and open arms. Come home – to the real right, to the national camp,” Netanyahu said.

“Join Idit. Together we will form a strong national government that will take care of all Israeli citizens,” Netanyahu added, calling the current government “weak.”

The current government, a motley coalition formed between right-wing, centrist, leftist, and Arab parties, has weathered several storms in the ten months it has been in power. The coalition also saw many firsts: it was the first time an Arab party sat in the ruling coalition and the first time Israel had a religious Jew as prime minister.