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Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to introduce a bill to dissolve the Knesset, a move that could pave the way for early elections and deepen political uncertainty for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.In a preliminary reading, 110 out of 120 members of Parliament supported the proposal, without any opposing votes, and the rest abstained from voting. The draft law, presented by the ruling coalition itself, now moves to the committee stage before undergoing three further readings required for final approval.If the solution is eventually passed, it would trigger an election automatically within 90 days, potentially bringing the currently scheduled vote forward to October 27 at the latest.This development comes amid increasing tension within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, especially due to disagreements with the extreme Orthodox parties. They accused the prime minister of failing to fulfill his commitments to pass legislation granting exemptions from military service to their communities, a long-standing political point of contention in Israel.
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Coalition tensions have opened the door for opposition parties, which are pushing for early elections and seeking to take advantage of Netanyahu’s declining political standing in opinion polls.
Israeli political writer Miriam Shermer said, “The Knesset dissolution, which was approved in a preliminary reading on Wednesday, could still be suspended if the exemption (for ultra-Orthodox Jewish students) is approved in advance,” adding that the situation could still change depending on security developments or legislative agreements, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.“This coalition has completed its days,” coalition head Ofir Katz said on Wednesday.Political analysts say the timing of this move could shape the electoral discourse, with some suggesting that Netanyahu may prefer elections sooner rather than later to avoid the memory of the October 7 attacks dominating election campaigns.Opposition leaders said “the election campaign has begun”, while rival blocs began preparing for what could be another disputed and fragmented vote, with no clear path to a stable governing majority yet.
