Israeli parliament approves early elections

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Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to dissolve the parliament and hold snap elections on April 9.

After three rounds of voting on Wednesday night, 102 legislators in the 120-seat Knesset (parliament) voted in favor of early elections with only two voting against it. The bill to disperse the Knesset and head for snap elections was proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government coalition.

The premier's coalition was left with a one-seat majority after Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stepped down in November over a controversial Gaza ceasefire deal.

Party leaders have failed to agree on a key bill regulating drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews to the army, and that was the immediate reason to move toward elections.

Analysts, however, say that Netanyahu wanted the polls before Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announces his decision on whether to indict the premier in three different corruption cases. While no official timeframe has been given, reports say such an announcement could come in mid-April.

A general view shows the plenum at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, December 26, 2018. /VCG Photo

With politicians now entering campaign mode, Netanyahu met in Jerusalem on Wednesday with leaders of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and made his pitch for why they should stick with him.

Netanyahu's current coalition is seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history.

Calling on their support in the elections, Netanyahu told the settler leaders they should not take the fate of their enterprise for granted.

While Netanyahu portrays himself as the champion of the settlements, settler leaders say he has not done enough, with three prominent heads of West Bank settlements boycotting the Wednesday meeting in protest.

Key members of his coalition are however strong settlement backers and oppose a Palestinian state.

Source(s): AFP ,Xinhua News Agency