Page "Prime Minister of Israel" Paragraph 10

Ultimately Netanyahu failed to hold the government together, and early elections for both Prime Minister and the Knesset were called in 1999.

Although five candidates announced their intention to run, the three representing minor parties ( Benny Begin of Herut – The National Movement, Azmi Bishara of Balad and Yitzhak Mordechai of the Centre Party ) dropped out before election day, and Ehud Barak beat Netanyahu in the election.

However, the new system again appeared to have failed, as although Barak's One Israel party ( an alliance of Labour, Gesher and Meimad ) won more votes than any other party in the Knesset election, they garnered only 26 seats, the lowest ever by a winning party, meaning that a coalition with six smaller parties was once again necessary.