Israel’s 25th Knesset voted early Friday to dissolve itself in its second and third (final) readings, clearing the way for national elections on Oct. 27. The measure passed with the support of coalition and opposition lawmakers and without any votes against.
The vote heralds the end of the tenure of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current coalition, which became the first Israeli government in decades to complete a full four-year term. Israelis will elect the 26th Knesset in the upcoming elections.
The coalition set the Oct. 27 election date in a meeting on July 12. The current government, Israel’s 37th, was sworn in on Dec. 29, 2022, following elections the previous month.
Before approving the dissolution bill, the coalition secured passage of legislation keeping mandatory Israel Defense Forces service for men at 32 months; it had been set to drop to 30 months at the beginning of 2027. The bill passed with the backing of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers despite a longstanding dispute over military conscription for Haredi yeshivah students that had strained the coalition.
The election campaign is expected to focus on Israel’s security situation three years after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, the Iranian threat and domestic issues, including military conscription and judicial reform.
