Overview
- Tuesday the Knesset approved the coalition's dissolution bill in a first reading with 106 of 120 votes, taking a formal step toward early elections.
- The bill still needs two more parliamentary readings before the Knesset can be dissolved and no official election date has been set.
- Israeli media report a possible voting window between September 8 and October 20 while the statutory deadline for holding elections is October 27.
- The trigger for the crisis was ultra‑Orthodox coalition partners demanding an exemption from military service for strictly religious men after the decades‑long exemption lapsed about two years ago.
- Watch for the timing fight between ultra‑Orthodox parties that want early September to boost turnout and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who prefers a later date to advance legislation and military aims, a contest that will shape campaign dynamics and Israel's short‑term governance.