Netanyahu abruptly orders his aides to prepare for the possibility of dissolving the Knesset and heading to early elections
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked his aides to prepare for the possibility of the Knesset being dissolved soon and heading for early elections following difficulties in maintaining the survival of his government.
The next general elections are currently scheduled for October 27, 2026; however, Netanyahu has instructed his aides to prepare for the scenario of bringing the election date forward, possibly to next June.
Netanyahu has also asked for the formation of a team to lead the upcoming election campaign of the Likud party he heads, and according to this timetable, the party’s primary elections will be held within months to determine the list of Likud candidates.
Netanyahu secretly ordered preparations for next June’s elections, amid a stalemate over the draft conscription law and the budget, despite his public insistence that the government will complete its full term.
Netanyahu continues to publicly insist that his 37th government will complete its term, and senior ministers who have spoken with him in recent days say he has sent a firm message: The coalition will approve the next state budget, and the elections will be held on time.
In private talks, Netanyahu also expressed confidence in the passage of controversial legislation that exempts ultra-Orthodox men from compulsory military service.
However, in in-depth consultations, political sources say that Netanyahu is aware that the situation could deteriorate rapidly, so he has instructed his aides to prepare for the possibility of dissolving the Knesset early if the coalition fails to pass the bill or the state budget.
According to Israeli law, the government has until the end of March to approve the general budget in the Knesset, otherwise the Knesset will be dissolved and early general elections are prepared.
According to observers, Netanyahu will have a hard time approving the budget in the Knesset unless he passes a conscription law that allows exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, a condition set by the ultra-Orthodox parties in order to vote in favor of the budget.
Without the votes of the religious, there is no possibility that the budget will be approved by the Knesset.
Criticism of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated in Israel, against the backdrop of the ultra-Orthodox evasion of conscription in light of the army’s lack of numbers during the launch of several regional wars.
Netanyahu is telling everyone that the elections will be held on time because he doesn’t want discipline to erode or for anyone to feel that the government is about to collapse.
Netanyahu wants to complete his full term and doesn’t want to waste a single day in power, but in reality, the Likud party is already preparing for the possibility of forcing the Knesset to dissolve soon.
