Israel’s parliament (the Knesset) has officially approved the date of the next elections, launching a new electoral cycle in the country. The final legal hurdle to dissolving parliament the law on political party financing was passed in its second and third readings. During an overnight vote, the measure received support from 62 lawmakers, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to The Times of Israel, the election timetable was announced immediately afterward.
Under the official schedule, the Knesset suspended its plenary activities and entered its summer recess on July 18, while the mandate of the 25th Knesset formally ended on July 19. The deadline for submitting party lists to the Central Elections Committee has been set for September 8. Parliamentary elections will be held on October 27, when voters will elect the members of the 26th Knesset.
According to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the current parliament has achieved a rare milestone in modern Israeli history: for the first time since 1988, the Knesset has completed its full four-year term as prescribed by law and was not dissolved early.
The election process is taking place amid mixed public sentiment. According to a recent television poll cited by Kursor, 67% of respondents do not support the laws adopted by Netanyahu’s government. Additionally, 23% of those surveyed said that if Netanyahu returns to power, they or their relatives might consider leaving the country. Meanwhile, 68% ruled out such a move, and 9% did not express an opinion.