Agencies-Gaza post
Israeli Knesset votes for dissolution ahead of early elections
Israel approached its fifth election on Wednesday in less than four years after lawmakers gave the first nod to the dissolution of parliament, with a comeback from former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu already dominating the campaign.
The Knesset voted to dissolve in a preliminary reading of a bill that is expected to be finalized next week, after which centrist Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will take over from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to lead an interim government.
Lapid, who with Bennett ended Netanyahu’s record reign a year ago by forming a rare political alliance of right-wing liberals and Arab parties, called the upcoming elections a battle between moderates and extremists embraced by Netanyahu.
Netanyahu, currently the leader of the Israeli opposition, was delighted with Bennett and Lapid’s move to dissolve what he called the worst government in Israel’s history, hoping to beat his own record and win a sixth term.
Four polls released Tuesday found Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and its likely nationalist and ultra-religious allied parties topped the polls, but were still short of a ruling majority in the 120-seat Israeli Knesset.
Their rivals left, right and center, have vowed to prevent the return to power of Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges that he denies.
