Overview
- The Knesset passed the dissolution bill in its first reading on Tuesday, June 2, with 106 votes in favor and no recorded opposition votes while several lawmakers were absent.
- As drafted, the law would set elections between September 8 and October 20 but must return to the House Committee and clear second and third readings before a final date is fixed.
- Coalition chairman Ofir Katz introduced the measure after United Torah Judaism’s rabbinic authority ordered its MKs to back dissolution over a stalled exemption from compulsory military service for yeshiva students.
- The vote effectively begins the formal campaign season and shifts strategic jockeying to small parties whose support will be decisive in Israel’s fragmented parliament.
- The snap election push heightens pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces legal trouble, public criticism over national security since Oct. 7, 2023, and institutional concerns about election administration and result integrity.