JERUSALEM, June 2, (V7N) – Israeli lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to support a bill, in its first reading, to dissolve parliament and trigger early elections. A total of 106 out of 120 Knesset members backed the legislation proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition, though the bill still requires two more readings to become law.
If passed, the bill would set elections for a date between September 8 and October 20, 2026. Israel is currently scheduled to hold elections by October 27, at the end of the current legislative term. Coalition chairman Ofir Katz defended the government's record, noting the Knesset passed over 520 laws and nine budgets during its four-year term.
The move comes as Netanyahu faces mounting pressure, particularly from ultra-Orthodox parties who accuse him of failing to deliver a permanent exemption from compulsory military service for yeshiva students. His right-wing coalition has grown increasingly fragile amid internal fractures.
Netanyahu, 76, Israel's longest-serving prime minister with over 18 years in power, has confirmed he will seek another term despite facing a long-running corruption trial and recent prostate cancer surgery. Many Israelis also hold him responsible for security failures related to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.
A recent poll shows Netanyahu's Likud party narrowly ahead of the opposition joint list led by Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett. However, neither camp appears capable of securing a governing majority in Israel's fragmented political landscape, setting the stage for potentially prolonged coalition negotiations after any election.
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