Israel's Parliament Dissolves, October Elections Called as Netanyahu Faces Loss of Support
Israel's Parliament, the Knesset, dissolved early on Friday, July 17, 2026, after passing a series of bills in the final hours of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition. The dissolution triggers elections scheduled for October 27, 2026.
The Knesset had been due to break for its summer recess on Friday but will now not reconvene before the elections. This development comes as Mr. Netanyahu struggles to maintain power amid growing public support for opposition parties, led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and a centrist former military chief.
Over the past week, the Knesset passed several controversial laws in marathon sessions, including two bills that effectively halt the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men in the military. These bills are seen as an attempt to ensure the support of ultra-Orthodox parties in Mr. Netanyahu's next coalition. Additionally, the Knesset passed legislation linked to Mr. Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plans, such as increasing government control over broadcast media and weakening the role of the attorney general. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has opposed these changes and has been a frequent target of Mr. Netanyahu and the Israeli right.
“We are completing a four-year term, we passed nine budgets and hundreds of bills, I thank you for the trust you placed in me, through which together we succeeded in maintaining a four-year term,” Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said as he announced the dissolution.
Completing a full four-year term is a rare occurrence in Israeli history. The last time Israel's government fulfilled a full term without early elections was in 1988. Israel has no term limits, and Mr. Netanyahu has served more terms than any other prime minister, but even he rarely finishes a full term. Between 2019 and 2022, Israelis voted five times. On average, elections are held every 2.4 years, making Israel the second-lowest ranked country in the OECD for period between elections, a marker of political instability, according to the Israel Democracy Institute.
