Coalition partner in Israel's current government, the Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) party, is likely to collapse after key members quit the bloc, local media reported yesterday. This comes after two Members of the Knesset, Asaf Zamir and Miki Haimovich, voted against extending the budget deadline last week, Ynet News said, leading to the collapse of the coalition government. Zamir and Haimovich announced on Sunday night that they had defected and would not be included in the party's electoral list for the next elections. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi also announced on Wednesday that he was taking a break from politics and leaving Blue and White, in the latest high-profile defection from Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s ailing party.
