In a preemptive political maneuver, the Israeli occupation government coalition has advanced a bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset, seeking to control the pace of its own collapse rather than hand the opposition a political victory.
According to a report by ‘Israel Hayom’ political correspondent Benny Ashkenazi, coalition head Ofir Katz submitted the dissolution bill on Wednesday in coordination with all coalition faction leaders. Under the proposal, the date for new elections will be determined during deliberations in the Knesset committee a move widely seen as the coalition’s attempt to dictate the political agenda and manage the dissolution process from within.
Ashkenazi noted that the coalition is determined not to give the opposition the satisfaction of bringing down the government on its own initiative. Instead, it seeks to steer the country toward elections on its own terms, including setting the timing and the mechanism for initiating the vote.
The bill is currently only in its preliminary reading. However, in its present form, it mandates that the election date be incorporated into the text during the second and third readings, granting the coalition additional room for political maneuvering. The bill also provides a 90-day grace period from the law’s enactment, though the law effectively allows for an election date to be set up to five months later.
Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties diverge
Against this backdrop, Ashkenazi highlighted a growing divergence between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties regarding the political messaging directed at the public. According to the correspondent, the ultra-Orthodox factions are attempting to portray themselves as having brought down a “right-wing ultra-Orthodox government” due to the failure to pass the conscription law. In contrast, Netanyahu is trying to present his government as one that “has persisted since October 7th and achieved accomplishments, including advancing judicial legislation.”
Ashkenazi also predicted that Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial would be disrupted during the election period, suggesting the prime minister would likely request a postponement of his testimony under the pretext of being preoccupied with election preparations.
Channel 12 correspondent Dafna Liel reported that the ruling coalition in the occupying entity is seeking to introduce the dissolution bill itself rather than leaving the initiative to the opposition, precisely to control the pace and direction of the political process. She indicated that the bill is expected to pass its preliminary reading on Wednesday.
However, sharp disagreements remain over the election date. According to Liel, United Torah Judaism is demanding that elections be held on September 1st, while the Shas party is pushing for September 15th. Netanyahu, for his part, prefers October 27th.
Liel added that Shas favors holding the elections between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, allowing voters to go directly from their prayers to the polls. She noted that questions now center on the logistical feasibility of this timeline, as the Central Elections Committee will be required to manage the electoral process without violating the sanctity of religious holidays.
Notably, the 26th Knesset elections in the occupied territories had been scheduled to take place in October 2026, given that the current Knesset’s term extends for four years since the November 2022 elections. The new dissolution bill, if passed, would mark a dramatic departure from that timeline.
Source: Agencies (translated and edited by Al-Manar)