Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed two moderate members of his government, saying he planned to dissolve parliament and force early elections, two years ahead of schedule.  Conflict had been brewing, but Netanyahu unleashed the chaos in his own government with the introduction of a nationality bill that would declare Israel the homeland of Jews.

“I will not tolerate an opposition within the government anymore,” Netanyahu said, accusing his critics of attempting a “putsch”.

That opposition is made up of now-former Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.  Both had been critical of Netanyahu’s rightwing pandering and increasingly caustic relations with Israel’s number-one BFF in the entire world, the United States.

“I will not tolerate ministers attacking government policy from within the government, attacking its leader, motivated by political interests, and being irresponsible at a national level,” Netanyahu

The current coalition has only been in power for 20 months, and is made up of five rightist and centrist parties, and the two most powerful figures to emerge are Netanyahu and Lapid, a former TV news anchor who formed the Yesh Atid party to represent the largely secular middle class.  It was Lapid who pushed for the end to the exemption from mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews who have traditionally been legally allowed to avoid military service in order pursue religious study. 

Livni’s Hatnuah party is focused on reaching peace with the Palestinians.  Netanyahu would rather govern with only the religious and nationalist parties at his side. 

Netanyahu’s nationality bill would define Israel as “the Jewish state”, which was already specified in the 1948 Declaration of Independence.  Critics say the wording would undermine the rights of 20 percent of Israel’s citizens who aren’t Jewish.  The bill was especially criticized by the father of a Druze police officer who died protecting Jews from a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem last month.