Israeli Solons Dissolve Knesset, Set Elections On Nov. 1

The Israeli Knesset was dissolved on Thursday morning, bringing Yair Lapid to the premiership and the country to its sixth election in three years, according to Michael Hauser and TovNoa Shpigel for the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Photo Insert: The approaching elections represent a continuation of Israel's long-running political crisis, which is centered on Netanyahu and his continuing corruption trial.

According to Ilan Ben Zion of the Associated Press, the dissolution of the Knesset marks the end of a year-old experimental coalition government and sends the country back to the polls on November 1, 2022. Yair Lapid, Israel's foreign minister and the architect of the country's outgoing coalition government, will take over as temporary prime minister just after midnight Friday. He will be the 14th Prime Minister of Israel, succeeding Naftali Bennett, the country's shortest-serving Prime Minister.

Following the vote, Lapid hugged Bennett before they switched seats. He posted, “thanks, Naftali, my brother” on Twitter.

The government dissolved barely over a year after it was founded, in a historic move that saw longstanding leader Benjamin Netanyahu deposed after 12 years in office by a coalition of ideologically diverse parties, including the first Arab faction.

After days of squabbling between coalition and opposition MPs over the date of new elections and other last-minute measures, the resolution to dissolve passed with 92 lawmakers in favor and none opposed.

The move effectively ends a political experiment in which eight Israeli parties from across the political spectrum attempted to find common ground following a period of lengthy deadlock in which the country staged four elections in two years.

The approaching elections represent a continuation of Israel's long-running political crisis, which is centered on Netanyahu and his continuing corruption trial. The preceding three years' which saw four deadlocked elections were primarily referendums on Netanyahu's fitness to serve while facing charges of accepting bribes, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu has categorically rejected any misconduct.

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