Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted in favour of a bill which moves to dissolve the Knesset, further adding to the demand for fresh elections in the country.
This parliamentary vote comes at a bad time for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is already facing mounting pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties and Israeli citizens, all while his right-wing coalition appears to be on the brink of collapse.
Israel votes to dissolve its parliament
On Wednesday, around 120 lawmakers in the Knesset voted in favour of a government-backed bill, which calls for the dissolution of the parliament, triggering a slightly earlier national election in Israel.
As per preliminary readings, local reports stated 110 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while the remaining 10 did not cast their votes.
The bill will now be passed on to a committee, where the election date will be finalised and then sent for three more parliamentary readings.
If it receives final approval, elections would be required to be held within 90 days.
Elections in Israel are currently set to be held before the end of the legislative session on October 27.
Hailing the vote, Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats, stated that the next elections will be known as the “October 7 elections,” referring to the 2023 Hamas attack in southern Israel, which has been flagged as a major security failure of the Netanyahu government.
“These are the October 7 elections, the elections in which the Israeli public will send home the government of negligence that brought upon us the greatest disaster in the state’s history,” Golan wrote on X.
Netanyahu set for ouster?
Netanyahu, who is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has been projected to lose the upcoming national election.
The Israeli prime minister faces immense pressure from lawmakers, allies, and citizens as Israel currently finds itself at war with Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Gaza.
Netanyahu also faces pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties, which have accused the prime minister of failing to deliver his promise of an exemption from mandatory military service for young men in the community.
The Israeli PM told his allies that he will push for legislation after the elections, which only angered the ultra-Orthodox parties.
Due to this, the Shas party and the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) have resigned from the government, bringing Netanyahu’s coalition to the verge of collapse.
Furthermore, Netanyahu is currently facing a corruption trial. The Israeli leader has been charged with fraud, breach of trust, bribery and acting in a conflict of interest. All three cases against Netanyahu date back to 2016, while his trial began in 2020.
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and has stated that he is the victim of a “witch hunt.” The prime minister has requested a pardon from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. As per reports, Herzog is trying to broker a plea deal for Bibi, which could also result in the retirement of the 76-year-old leader as part of the agreement.
Growing dissatisfaction with Netanyahu
Amid political turmoil, Netanyahu’s popularity in the country has also tanked, especially after the 2023 Hamas attack and the launch of the war on Gaza.
Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the terror attack, stating that it was the failure of security which enabled the militant group to attack Israel.
As per a Channel 12 broadcast poll, around 42 per cent of Israelis who voted for the Likud party are looking out or have decided to vote for other candidates.
In another survey by Maariv, around 55 per cent of Israelis want Netanyahu to drop out of the PM race for the next elections, while 38 per cent showed their support.
