New Delhi, May 21: Israel appears to be heading for a snap poll after the Knesset (Parliament) overwhelmingly approved a bill to dissolve the parliament.
Lawmakers voted unanimously for an early ballot in a preliminary reading of a bill to disband the 120-seat Parliament.
If it receives final approval Israel could hold an election much ahead of an ⁠October 27 deadline. Opinion polls showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would lose the first national vote as his popularity has plummeted since the October 23 attack..Public trust dropped significantly—with polls at times showing up to 76 percent of Israelis lacking confidence in his government—his approval has seen fluctuations.
Netanyahu’s own coalition submitted the bill to dissolve parliament after an ultra-Orthodox faction traditionally close to the Israeli leader accused him of failing to deliver on a promise to pass a law exempting their community from mandatory military.
Some 110 members of parliament voted in favor of ⁠the bill to dissolve, with no opponents or abstentions. It now heads to committee where an election date is agreed, before going back to the Knesset for final approval.
The last national election was in November 2022 and the next ballot is due at the latest on October 27.
Elections must be held within five months of the law’s passing, which would mean mid- to late-October at the latest. The Knesset’s ultra-Orthodox parties reportedly favor an election date in early September. Elections must, in any case, be held by October 27.
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