JERUSALEM — Israel’s governing coalition collapsed after just seven months, sending the election-fatigued country to its fourth vote in two years. The ballot will take place on March 23 and feature a new challenger. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is used to labeling his opponents as weak leftists, finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled former aides who share his hard-line ideology, led by a popular lawmaker who recently broke away from the prime minister’s Likud party. Whether Netanyahu can fend off these challengers or not, the country is almost certain to be led by a right-wing politician opposed to concessions to the Palestinians, complicating hopes of the incoming Biden administration to restart peace talks. The prospects of Israel’s center-left bloc appear worse than in previous contests because its leader, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, entered into the ill-fated alliance with Netanyahu. Gantz has lost the support of much of his disappointed base, and the bloc has been left leaderless. Netanyahu and Gantz formed their coalition last May after battling to a stalemate in three consecutive elections. They said they were putting aside their personal rivalry to form an "emergency" government focused on guiding the country through the health and economic crises caused by the pandemic. Under the deal, Gantz assumed the new role of "alternate prime minister" and was assured he would trade places with Netanyahu next November in a rotation agreement halfway through their term. The immediate cause of the collapse was their failure to pass a budget by the midnight Tuesday deadline. That caused the parliament to automatically dissolve and set new elections for late March. At the heart of this dysfunctional relationship is Netanyahu"s corruption trial. Gantz has accused Netanyahu of undermining their power-sharing deal in hopes of remaining in office throughout his trial, which will kick into high gear in February when witnesses begin to take the stand. He and other critics believe Netanyahu ultimately hopes to form a new government capable of appointing loyalists to sensitive positions who could grant him immunity or dismiss the charges against him. "A criminal defendant with three indictments is dragging the country to a fourth round of elections," the Blue and White Party said Tuesday night. "If there wasn"t a trial, there would be a budget, and there wouldn"t be elections." In the upcoming elections Netanyahu faces Gideon Saar, a stalwart in Netanyahu"s Likud Party who announced this month that he was breaking away and forming a new party. Saar, who once served as Netanyahu"s Cabinet secretary, has accused the prime minister of turning the Likud into a "personality cult" focused on ensuring its leader"s political survival. Naftali Bennett, another former aide who had a falling out with Netanyahu, leads a religious right-wing party that also has surged in the polls. And Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu"s former chief of staff and a longtime Cabinet minister who now leads his own party, also says the prime minister is unfit to lead. — Agencies