This paves the way for possible early elections.
A total of 106 out of 120 Knesset members approved the bill presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, according to a parliamentary statement.
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The remaining lawmakers did not participate in the vote, which took place after debates in the assembly.
The bill, which must be passed in two more readings to become law, stipulates that elections must be held between September 8 and October 20.
Currently, elections in Israel must take place by October 27, when the current legislative term ends.
“We have completed four full years, which is an exceptional achievement in Israeli politics, and we worked hard to reach this point,” said ruling coalition chairman Ofir Katz in the statement.
“This Knesset passed more than 520 laws and nine budgets. Practically, we lasted until the very end,” he asserted.
The coalition proposed this bill at a time when Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties, and his fractured right-wing coalition appears increasingly vulnerable and may collapse.
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Ultra-Orthodox parties accuse Netanyahu of failing to fulfill a promise to pass legislation granting young men studying in yeshivas or religious seminaries a permanent exemption from mandatory military service.
76-year-old Netanyahu, a political veteran often called the phoenix of Israeli politics, confirmed that he intends to seek another term.
He recently revealed that he underwent prostate cancer surgery.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has spent more than 18 years in power since first taking office in 1996.
He is seeking re-election despite facing a corruption case.
Many Israelis hold Netanyahu responsible for security lapses that allowed Hamas to carry out the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack against Israel.
Last month, in a poll released by public broadcaster KAN, Netanyahu’s Likud party narrowly led Beyahad – a joint list headed by opposition leader Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
However, neither side appears capable of securing a ruling majority in Israel’s fractured political arena.
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