Israeli Knesset voted to disband itself Thursday morning, a little over 14 months after it convened and a year after the government was sworn in, sending the Zionist entity reeling toward its fifth election since 2019, set for November 1.
Parliament voted to disperse 92–0, the Times of Israel reported on Thursday.
Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid will succeed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as premier at midnight between Thursday and Friday. After the vote, Bennett and Lapid embraced and switched places, so that Lapid could sit in the premier’s seat.
Bennett will take the title of alternate prime minister and Lapid will retain the post of foreign minister. The rest of the government’s ministers will stay in place, and lawmakers will largely shift from legislating to campaigning.
On Wednesday evening, Bennett announced his intention to take a break from politics, saying that he will not run in the upcoming elections. He will continue to serve as alternate prime minister until a new government is formed, and pledged to make himself available as necessary to his successor Lapid. Bennett will also continue to oversee Israeli policy on Iran.
Although lawmakers overwhelmingly supported dispersing their Knesset last Wednesday, the required legislative process was delayed by haggling between coalition and opposition parties over the upcoming election date and final legislation that was to be passed before dispersal.
Source: Israeli media
