Overview
- The Knesset, which passed the bill in a first reading Tuesday, recorded 106 votes in favor and no recorded opposition as the coalition moved to formalize a return to the polls.
- As drafted, the legislation allows elections to be held between September 8 and October 20 but will only set an exact date if the House Committee readies the bill and the Knesset approves second and third readings.
- Coalition officials said the bill was submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc after ultra‑Orthodox partners threatened to withdraw over a stalled plan to exempt many yeshiva students from compulsory military service.
- United Torah Judaism pressed for an expedited dissolution and its spiritual leadership was reported to have ordered party members to back the move, a step that underscored the decisive power of small religious factions in Israel’s coalition politics.
- The advance launches a formal campaign timetable and raises logistical and legal questions—including holiday scheduling and election‑office capacity—that could affect when voting happens and how results are certified.