The Israeli Parliament approved its dissolution this Friday ahead of the October 27 elections, after having adopted a series of bills favorable to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a candidate for another term despite his declining popularity.
The vote was supported by 62 of the 120 members of the Knesset.
The ruling coalition of Netanyahu, 76, passed a series of controversial bills in a marathon final session aimed at strengthening his position and satisfying ultra-Orthodox allies.
One of these pieces of legislation reduces the powers of the attorney general, blocks the arrest of ultra-Orthodox individuals who evade military service, and expands government oversight of the media.
In addition to approving its dissolution, Parliament gave the green light to an increase in funding for political parties.
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Despite the dissolution, the Knesset’s legal advisor, Sagit Afik, stated that the chamber can remain active for about 10 more days because the law confirming the election date was returned to a committee.
Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in the history of the State of Israel, is in a weakened position. Polls show that the majority of Israelis want him to resign.
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Former army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is emerging as his main rival at the polls.
Following this, the Knesset published a message on social media highlighting that it is ending its four-year term for the first time in 38 years, before noting that during this period it “functioned during the most difficult moments that Israeli society has known,” in reference to the attacks of October 7, 2023, and the war in the Middle East.
“A Knesset whose members knew how to face the challenges, but also to stand firm against the enemies who came to destroy us,” he said. “Like all previous Knessets, and all those that will come after, the 25th Knesset was the people’s Knesset. Because this is the people’s house, and all its members, for generations, are their chosen ones,” he concluded.
Lawmakers in the Israeli Parliament argue after the vote on a bill that seeks to equate the study of Jewish texts with military service, in Jerusalem, on Monday, July 13, 2026.
The Speaker of the Israeli Parliament, Amir Ohana, has highlighted that “he can honestly say that this was the most challenging term in the history of the Knesset,” including “protests of various kinds and the longest and most difficult war in the history of the State,” according to a statement published by the legislature following its dissolution.
“I hope that we return here soon and remember that, despite all the disagreements, we are not enemies, but partners, even if we are rivals, and that we are all members of the same nation and the same country,” said Ohana, who expressed his wish that the next parliamentarians “generate more good” after the elections.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to secure a new term amidst polls pointing to a decline in his popularity and that of his Executive, led by Likud and backed by ultra-Orthodox parties that have had growing influence on political decisions in the country.
