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Efforts by Israel’s opposition to dissolve the Knesset have failed after a majority of lawmakers voted against the proposed legislation, Israeli broadcaster Channel 14 reported early Thursday.
The motion, aimed at triggering early elections, was rejected by 61 members of the 120-seat parliament, with only 53 voting in favour.
The vote came after ultra-Orthodox parties confirmed they would not support the bill, following an announcement by Yuli Edelstein, Chair of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, that progress had been made on negotiations around the controversial military draft law.
Opposition factions, including Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid and Yisrael Beiteinu headed by former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, had announced their intention last week to pursue the dissolution of parliament. On 4 June, Yesh Atid formally submitted the motion, requesting the vote take place on June 11.
Yair Golan, leader of the Israeli Democrats Party, condemned the government’s ongoing bombardment in Gaza, claiming it had become a political tool to extend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hold on power. “The war has lost its justification and turned into a political war aimed at keeping Netanyahu’s government in place,” Golan said. Netanyahu currently faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes.
The opposition has also accused the prime minister of seeking to appease ultra-Orthodox coalition partners by pushing legislation that would exempt their communities from mandatory military service. Parties such as Shas and United Torah Judaism, both part of the ruling coalition, have made such exemptions a key demand—an issue that continues to spark division within Israeli society.
The last general election was held in late 2022, and the next is not due until the end of 2026, unless early elections are called through a successful vote to dissolve the Knesset.
