Israeli lawmakers voted Tuesday to back a bill, in its first reading, to dissolve Parliament and pave the way for likely early elections.
A total of 106 of the Knesset’s 120 members backed the legislation, submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, according to a parliamentary statement.
The remaining lawmakers did not attend the vote, which followed a debate in the assembly.
The bill, which must pass two further readings before becoming law, stipulates that elections be held between Sept 8 and Oct 20.
Israel is currently due to hold elections by Oct 27, when the current legislative term ends.
“We completed four full years, which is an exceptional achievement in Israeli politics, and we worked hard to reach this point,” said Ofir Katz, chairman of the ruling coalition in a statement.
“This Knesset passed more than 520 laws and nine budgets. In practice, we held on until the very end.”
The coalition’s move to propose the bill comes as Netanyahu faces growing pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties and his fractious right-wing coalition appears increasingly vulnerable to collapse.
Ultra-Orthodox parties accuse Netanyahu of failing to fulfil a pledge to pass legislation granting a permanent exemption from compulsory military service to young men studying in yeshivas, or religious seminaries.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has spent more than 18 years in power since first taking office in 1996. He is seeking re-election despite facing a long-running corruption trial.
Many Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible for the security failures that allowed Hamas to carry out its unprecedented Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
A poll published by public broadcaster KAN in May placed Netanyahu’s Likud party narrowly ahead of Beyahad (Together), the joint list led by opposition leader Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
However, neither camp appears capable of securing a governing majority in Israel’s fragmented political landscape. AFP
