Israeli Knesset Approves First Reading of Knesset Disbandment Bill

The proposal now heads to the Knesset committee.

If the proposal passes, Israel will head into its fifth election in less than four years.

Previously, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ended the long-held tenure of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett’s government was “fragile from the start,” Reuters reports.

The uneasy alliance began to come apart when some members rebelled, and members were deadlocked over the renewal of regulations that allow the legal administration of settlers in occupied West Bank.

In response, Bennett called to dissolve the Knesset and for a new election. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will assume the top office in a caretaker role under a coalition deal.

The dissolution bill must still pass among a parliamentary committee and then pass in three more votes, with a majority of at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers voting for the proposal.

If the bill survives, the Knesset will need to set an election date for no later than five months from the day the bill became law.

If a new election is called, Netanyahu is expected to try to make a comeback and win back his seat.

“Something great happened here,” Netanyahu said on Monday, saying that his conservative Likud party would lead the next government.

Netanyahu is currently on trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has denied the charges.

Still, some political leaders are hoping to push through a proposal that would ban any individual under indictment from becoming prime minister, a move that would effectively block Netanyahu’s attempt at a comeback.

Related:

Israel to Head into Fifth Election in Three Years after Parliament Dissolves

Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Luke Franzen

Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.