Israel will hold national elections on October 27, the last date allowed by law, parliament said on Sunday, in a vote widely seen as a referendum on PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership since the Gaza war erupted.
“Since the current Knesset is expected to serve its full term and the next general election is already set by law for October 27, with no intention of shortening the legislature’s tenure, there is no need to enact a Knesset Dissolution Law in the usual sense,” parliament said in a statement.
The bill that has generated the most controversy concerns exemptions from military service for students engaged in religious studies — a longstanding demand of the ultra-Orthodox parties, which have repeatedly threatened in the past to bring down the government if their constituents were not granted such exemptions.
The bill, approved in a preliminary reading in June, states that “the State of Israel shall recognize individuals who commit themselves to long-term Torah study as performing meaningful service for the benefit of the State and the Jewish people.”
For months, the proposed “Basic Law: Torah Study” has brought thousands of Israelis onto the streets and inflamed debate on political television programs.
“The government is exploiting the final days of the Knesset’s session to pass laws against the army,” Gadi Eisenkot, former military chief who has emerged as Netanyahu’s main rival in the upcoming election, wrote on X.
He argued that only his newly formed party, the Yashar (Straight) party, would be capable of forming the next government.
According to Eisenkot, the legislative “marathon” is aimed solely at passing laws that would no longer be possible once he comes to power.
In exchange for supporting the military exemption bill, lawmakers from the two ultra-Orthodox parties are expected to back legislation proposed by Netanyahu’s Likud party, including a reform of the broadcasting sector aimed at overhauling the entire regulatory framework governing television, radio and streaming platforms.
Presented by its supporters as a measure designed to open the market to competition, the reform has been condemned by critics as an attempt to exert political control over the media, undermine the independence of news organizations, and provide economic benefits to outlets considered close to the government.
Another bill under consideration aims to reform the status of the state attorney general, who currently also serves as the government’s legal adviser.
Netanyahu’s Likud party seeks to weaken the position, currently held by his vocal critic Gali Baharav-Miara, by stipulating that the legal adviser’s opinions would no longer be binding on the government.
Here too, the opposition accuses the government of trying to eliminate an independent check on its power and to politicize criminal prosecutions.
Finally, at the urging of the religious parties, the government is seeking to repeal a reform introduced by the previous administration that ended the religious authority’s monopoly over issuing kosher certification by opening the sector to competition.
Once again, critics say the bill appears tailored to the demands of the ultra-Orthodox parties, particularly Shas, which has pushed for it in order to protect the religious institution’s interests at the expense of consumers.
The original kosher reform was expected to reduce costs for restaurant owners.
Additional bills are still being debated in parliamentary committees, but heated disagreements — including within the governing coalition itself — make it difficult for all of the measures to pass before the end of the legislative term.
The Knesset is due to dissolve automatically on July 15, marking the end of its summer session, with parliamentary elections scheduled for no later than October 27.
However, in order to complete ongoing legislative proceedings, lawmakers can extend the session by up to 12 days, giving Netanyahu and his allies additional time to secure passage of the bills.
By Agence France-Presse
