The Israeli Knesset approves the dissolution of itself unanimously in the preliminary reading

On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset unanimously approved a bill to dissolve itself, in preparation for early legislative elections, with the support of 110 members without any opposition, provided that this measure will be followed by voting in the three readings (first, second and third).

According to Israeli media, the plenary session witnessed a notable absence of government figures, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, extremist  National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in addition to Shas leader Aryeh Deri.

Israeli law stipulates that early elections will not be held until 90 days after the final and full approval of the bill to dissolve parliament.

The Haredim crisis haunts the coalition

The move comes in light of the escalation of internal tensions that are ravaging the government coalition led by Netanyahu, and the worsening crisis of the law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, a file that directly threatens political stability inside Israel .

In a parallel track to the vote, the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Security Committee is scheduled to hold a brief debate on the exemption bill, which was reintroduced at Netanyahu's request to placate the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Despite the amendments made to it, the Knesset has not published an updated version of the law since its last version was proposed in November 2025, reflecting the complexity of the legislative landscape and the need for additional sessions to prepare it for the second and third readings, followed by another discussion on extending regular military service.

Exchange Dates: September is the most likely

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz quoted a source in the ultra-Orthodox Digal HaTorah party as confirming that the party had taken a decision to support the opposition's bills to dissolve the Knesset. The source explained that the party "is aware of all of Netanyahu's maneuvers" and seeks to push for early elections as soon as possible, likely to be held on September 1.

On the other hand, the Shas party is pushing for setting a date for the vote in mid-September (September 15), amid suspicions and speculation that there is secret coordination between party leader Aryeh Deri and Netanyahu, at a time when Shas has not publicly decided its final position on opposition projects.

For his part, Netanyahu is continuing his recent diplomatic and political efforts to prevent the collapse of the coalition, sticking to the original date of the elections at the end of October, through intensive negotiations to persuade the religious parties to postpone the government's overthrow.

Israeli sources warned of an internal governance crisis after the dissolution of the Knesset, stressing that the dissolution of the Knesset means the beginning of the end of Netanyahu's government in the short term.

Legislative race before final shutdown

According to the legal requirements based on the Knesset legal advisor's decisions, the passage of the dissolution law on the third reading will restrict the movement of parliament, as the subsequent passage of laws will be limited to issues agreed upon exclusively between the opposition and the coalition.

However, the Knesset has room for maneuver before reaching the third reading to pass controversial legislation, with the "Separation of the Attorney General" bill looming for a vote on the first reading, as well as the "media reform" bill that is on the horizon for the second and third readings, amid indications that the Degel HaTorah party is tacitly supporting them in the current political bazaar.

Under the current procedures, the dissolution bill will go to the relevant parliamentary committees for discussion and drafting before being sent back to the General Assembly for a final vote, officially putting Israel on the cusp of a new transition.

What is the Knesset?

The Knesset is  Israel's highest legislative and political authority, it assumes legislative tasks, approves governments, monitors their work, elects the head of state, prepares the constitution, has some quasi-judicial functions, consists of 120 members, and plays a major role in Israeli political life.

The Knesset has a great place in Israel because of the nature of the parliamentary system of governance, which allows for a greater distribution of power, and where general elections are held only for the Knesset, the Knesset chooses the prime minister and approves the government.