The bill to dissolve the Knesset will be brought for its first reading on Monday, coalition whip Ofir Katz announced on Wednesday, advancing the process of potentially moving the elections up slightly from the current date of October 27.
The first discussion on the dissolution bill to debate the election date in the Knesset’s House Committee is set to take place directly ahead of the plenum’s first reading of the legislation.
There had been no advancement on the coalition’s bill to dissolve the Knesset since it passed its preliminary reading last week on Wednesday, with a large majority of 110 lawmakers in favor and none against. The passage of the bill came amid the crisis in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition with the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties over the contentious draft bill.
Opposition coordinator Yesh Atid MK Meirav Ben-Ari pushed for progress on the Knesset dissolution bill on Tuesday, demanding Katz place the legislation on the House Committee’s agenda.
The bill must still pass a total of three more readings in the plenum to come into effect.
The coalition’s submission of its own dissolution bill has been viewed as a way for the prime minister to control the pace and timing of the elections, as it grants the government greater control over the process.
The bill proposes determining the election date in the committee debates. If the coalition intends to pass the Knesset dissolution bill quickly in three readings, it could expedite its passage.
No elections within 90 days of dissolution
Even if elections are moved forward from the October 27 date, they cannot take place in August because at least 90 days must pass after a dissolution bill is approved before elections can be held.
That means the elections could be moved up to either early September or mid-October.
Numerous reports have stated that haredi parties Shas and UTJ seek to move up the election date to September, before the High Holy Days, to allow for a better turnout of haredi voters.
Netanyahu reportedly has opposed the move and instead seeks to hold elections in late October, allowing the coalition more time to advance legislation during the Knesset’s final session and potentially achieve military goals.
Meanwhile, the coalition has fast-tracked several controversial bills, scheduling marathon committee meetings to advance as much legislation as possible ahead of a potential Knesset dissolution.
The coalition tensions began in mid-May after Netanyahu told the haredi parties that the haredi draft legislation did not have enough support within the coalition to pass. This led the parties to push for the Knesset’s dissolution.
Degel Hatorah’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando, wrote in a letter to the faction’s Knesset members that, “We no longer have trust in Netanyahu.”
The coalition then attempted to bring back the haredi draft bill for discussion on the same day as the preliminary vote on the Knesset dissolution.
Draft push PM's final effort to avoid dissolution
Pushing to move forward with the draft bill, after progress on it was halted, was seen as Netanyahu’s final effort to persuade the haredi parties not to vote in favor of dissolving the Knesset.
However, the haredi faction Degel Hatorah’s spiritual leader instructed United Torah Judaism lawmakers on Sunday evening to stop cooperating with the coalition’s efforts to advance the haredi draft bill, once again setting back progress on the legislation.
The decision came amid doubt over whether the haredi draft bill can actually be passed, with multiple coalition lawmakers speaking against it and vowing not to vote for it. They have warned that it would not solve the IDF’s manpower crisis and could severely harm Israel’s security.
The IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage, particularly after more than two years of war.
Opposition party leaders vowed throughout Wednesday that under no circumstances would they form a coalition with the haredi parties after the elections.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, a leading rival of Netanyahu, stated that there would be absolutely no compromise on drafting haredim in a government led by him.
“The State of Israel will not survive when more and more of its citizens are educated to say, ‘We would rather die than enlist,’” he stated.
“In the next government, everyone – everyone – will enlist. Whoever does not serve will not receive a single shekel from the state. It’s that simple,” he added.
Leader of the left-wing Democrats Party Yair Golan responded to a Channel 14 video that was published on Tuesday, which showed him saying that he did not rule out forming a government with the haredi parties.
He said that the clip was taken out of context. Channel 14 did not state when the clip was taken.
“We will not sit with the haredim, that is a promise,” Golan vowed in response.
“I understand that Channel 14 is once again trying to take half-sentences and distort them out of context, so let me say this as clearly as possible: The haredi parties have disqualified themselves. Period.
“You cannot encourage draft evasion during wartime. You cannot live at the expense of the state without giving back. You cannot dictate to millions of Israelis how to marry, how to live, where to travel, or what to wear,” he added.