The Israeli parliament on Tuesday supported a proposal to dissolve itself in the first reading, paving the way for likely early elections, reports AFP. 106 out of 120 deputies voted for the legislative proposal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, the rest did not participate in the vote.
- The Israeli parliament supported the proposal for its own dissolution in the first reading.
- Early parliamentary elections should be held between the eighth of September and the twentieth of October.
- Benjamin Netanyahu’s government coalition adopted more than five hundred laws and nine budgets.
- Ultra-Orthodox parties are pushing for the permanent exemption of yeshiva students from military service.
- Polls suggest that no political bloc may win a clear majority.
According to the proposed modification, the proposal must go through two more readings. If it is finally approved, the elections should take place between September 8 and October 20. Currently, regular parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 27 at the latest, when the mandate of the current Knesset ends.
End of the election period
In a statement, the chairman of the coalition parliamentary club, Ofir Kac, recalled that the parliament ended its entire four-year term, which he called exceptional in the conditions of Israeli politics. He emphasized that the deputies approved more than 520 laws and nine budgets and, according to him, the coalition lasted until the end of the election cycle.
The proposal comes at a time when Netanyahu is increasingly under pressure from his ultra-Orthodox partners. According to AFP, his right-wing governing coalition appears increasingly fragile and vulnerable to disintegration.
Dispute about military service
Ultra-Orthodox parties blame the prime minister for not fulfilling his commitment to push through legislation that would permanently exempt yeshiva students from mandatory military service. This is a long-term sensitive and polarizing topic in Israeli society and politics.
Netanyahu, who first took office in 1996 and has been in power for a total of about 18 years, is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history. He confirmed that he will run for another term.
Security failures and lawsuits
According to AFP, part of the public attributes political responsibility to Netanyahu for the security failures that allowed the attack by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7, 2023. This event fundamentally affected the domestic political environment and the debate about the competences of the government.
The prime minister is also the first serving Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges. The indictment accuses him of bribery, fraud and breach of trust based on a 2019 investigation, all of which Netanyahu denies.
Unclear post-election majority
An opinion poll released last month by Israel’s Kan TV and cited by AFP shows Netanyahu’s Likud party slightly ahead of joint candidate Bejahad. It connects opposition leader and ex-prime minister Jair Lapid with another former prime minister, Naftali Bennet.
However, according to these data, none of the blocs may be able to form a clear majority in the Knesset. It suggests that complex coalition negotiations and political fragmentation could continue even after possible early elections.
