Netanyahu’s coalition seeks control, prepares bill to dissolve Knesset

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition is preparing to introduce its own bill to dissolve the Knesset as early as next week, a move that would open the door to early elections, Israeli media reported,  according to The Times of Israel.

According to the reports, the coalition aims to advance its own dissolution bill to control both the legislative process and the timing of any vote, with expectations that ultra-Orthodox parties would be more inclined to support a coalition-backed initiative than one introduced by the opposition.

The Times of Israel said that if the Knesset votes to dissolve itself, elections must be held within five months. Haredi factions are reportedly favoring an earlier date in September.

The move comes as opposition parties also advance separate bills seeking to dissolve parliament, while divisions within the ruling coalition continue to widen ahead of a possible early election.

Haredi unite against Netanyahu

The political pressure intensified after Rabbi Dov Lando, the senior spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah faction within the United Torah Judaism party, called for the immediate dissolution of the Knesset following meetings with party lawmakers at his home in Bnei Brak.

Lando’s decision came after Netanyahu reportedly informed Haredi lawmakers that the coalition currently lacks sufficient support to pass the controversial military exemption bill for yeshiva students. In a strongly worded statement, Lando declared that his faction no longer trusts Netanyahu and would now act solely in the interests of the Haredi community and the yeshiva world.

While Degel HaTorah alone does not have enough seats to force parliament’s dissolution, the faction’s position has increased pressure on fellow ultra-Orthodox parties, particularly Shas and Agudat Yisrael. Agudat Yisrael signaled support for dissolving the Knesset, while reports indicated ongoing coordination between Degel HaTorah and Shas despite public denials of disagreements.

Opposition parties advance early election push

Following Lando’s announcement, opposition parties moved quickly to place dissolution bills on the parliamentary agenda. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party confirmed it would submit a proposal next week, while additional bills were reportedly introduced by Yair Golan’s Democrats party and Yisrael Beytenu.

Earlier today, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for dissolving the Knesset next week, after accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies of advancing “a series of anti-democratic laws, some of which are a blatant attempt to steal the elections.”

“Let’s not drag out another whole summer of corruption and fratricidal hatred. Let’s end this before more irreversible damage is caused to the state. Let’s dissolve the Knesset as early as next week,” he added.

This comes amid a political crisis within the governing coalition, after Netanyahu was accused of pushing forward legislation to extend military service without making progress on a controversial draft exemption law for Haredi communities. The dispute has sparked anger among religious parties, which have threatened to bring down the occupation government.