Israeli Knesset passes preliminary vote to dissolve itself, setting the stage for early elections

The Israeli Knesset approved a preliminary vote to dissolve itself on Wednesday, with 110 members supporting the coalition’s dissolution bill and no opposition. The move follows the withdrawal of ultra-Orthodox parties, including Degel Hatorah, which cited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to advance legislation exempting the haredi community from mandatory military service. The bill’s explanatory notes state that the 25th Knesset will dissolve before its term ends, with elections for the 26th Knesset scheduled for a date determined by law. The dissolution bill now proceeds to the Knesset’s House Committee for debate and must pass three readings to take effect. By introducing the bill itself, the coalition retains control over setting the election date, which cannot occur in August due to a 90-day legal requirement. This means elections could be held in September or mid-October, with the latest possible date being October 27. The collapse of the coalition comes amid ongoing disputes over the haredi draft bill, which critics argue does little to address the IDF’s severe manpower shortages after over two years of war. Netanyahu attempted to salvage the coalition by resuming debate on the draft bill in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, but ultra-Orthodox leaders, including Rabbi Dov Lando, reiterated their lack of trust in him. Polls indicate Netanyahu’s coalition lacks a parliamentary majority, with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid forming a new party called Together. The pair leads in polling against Netanyahu’s Likud party. Historically, 18 of the 24 Knesset assemblies have been dissolved early, with 14 of those cases resolved through a dissolution law requiring 61-member support in the final reading.