Israel’s right-wing parliament dissolved early Friday after passing a marathon of bills, including more illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, in the last moments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
The Knesset, which was scheduled to break for its summer recess on Friday, will not reconvene before the elections scheduled on 27 October.
The expected dissolution comes as Netanyahu is struggling to hold onto power ahead of the next elections as ‘Israel’ grinds into nearly three years of genocide and war. Israeli polls are showing a groundswell of support for opposition parties, led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and a centrist former military chief Gadi Eizenkot.
Over the past week, the Knesset passed several controversial laws in marathon sessions as Netanyahu attempted to ram through several of his pet projects.
Earlier this week, the Knesset passed two bills that effectively halt the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men in the military in an attempt to ensure ultra-Orthodox parties join Netanyahu’s coalition in the next government.
Moreover, the Israeli parliament on Tuesday approved two new funding packages for illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, with far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock announcing the measures.
The packages include a previously undisclosed allocation of 1.3 billion Israeli shekels ($431 million) approved in June for the establishment of 34 settlements, which Israeli outlet Ynet said had been delayed amid tensions with the United States.
Source: Israei media (edited by Al-Manar)