TEL AVIV — Israel’s parliament has officially dissolved, kicking off a high-stakes campaign for national elections on October 27.The dissolution of the 25th Knesset on Friday paves the way for a vote that is seen as a critical referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival and his wars on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.Before adjourning into recess, Netanyahu’s hardline coalition, the most nationalist in Israel’s history, also pushed through a series of controversial laws to secure its base as the Knesset held a final marathon overnight voting session.Among the legislation passed, according to state broadcaster Kan, was the Party Funding Law, which unlocks the state-regulated funds that political parties need to run their campaigns. This confirmed the October 27 election date in legal terms.The “legislative blitz” also included a sweeping Communications Law (passed 53-48), which dismantles independent media regulators in favour of a government-supervised broadcast authority.Highly divisive legislation shielding ultra-Orthodox men from military conscription was also approved.Kan noted that these moves were aimed at satisfying Netanyahu’s religious and nationalist coalition partners, protecting the government from fracturing before the campaign begins.A wave of jeers greeted Netanyahu as Israel’s parliament prepared for a blitz of controversial legislation in the government’s closing days.The commotion was so loud that Netanyahu left the chamber, sitting out the vote entirely. It passed anyway.Netanyahu’s absence didn’t slow the legislative push his coalition rushed through this week. A cluster of contentious bills were rapidly finalized – primarily designed to satisfy the demands of his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies, analysts say.After nearly four turbulent years, marked by mass protests, the October 7 attack, and a prolonged multi-front war, his government achieved a rare milestone: completing a full four-year term in office, something no Israeli government has done since 1988. It’s also something Netanyahu himself, despite being the country’s longest-serving prime minister, had never previously achieved.Due to Israel’s highly volatile political system, fragile coalition governments regularly collapse early, leading to snap elections.“Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival, and the Haredi parties are essential to it,” political analyst Nadav Eyal wrote. The goal, he said, is “showing his Haredi partners that he is the only politician who will deliver for them.”The most politically charged element of the package was legislation that enshrines the mass evasion of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, youth from military service. While Israeli law requires all 18-year-olds to serve, ultra-Orthodox men have long been exempted under historic arrangements the Supreme Court has repeatedly struck down.The issue became particularly acute during wartime: the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it’s short at least 12,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, an estimated 72,000 eligible ultra-Orthodox men are not enlisted, leaving conscript and reserve soldiers to bear the burden.Facing fierce public opposition to a sweeping exemption law, Netanyahu advanced a workaround to satisfy his ultra-Orthodox allies. One law enshrines Torah study as a foundational state value in a Basic Law, a move that critics say lays the constitutional groundwork for exemptions to survive future Supreme Court challenges. A second bill grants temporary immunity to tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders until late January 2027.Ahead of the vote, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir issued an unusual public warning, calling the legislation “inconceivable” and “inconsistent” with the army’s needs, while cautioning it could erode trust among those who do serve. The letter drew a sharp backlash from Netanyahu’s allies, with some Likud lawmakers calling for Zamir’s dismissal, and Aryeh Deri, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, accusing him of “dabbling in politics.”The bill passed regardless but is already facing legal challenges. Within hours of the vote, opposition parties petitioned the High Court of Justice, which issued a temporary injunction freezing its implementation.The draft-related laws are only one piece of a broader coalition trade-off. Ultra-Orthodox parties supported several of Netanyahu’s own priorities, including legislation curbing the authority of the attorney general, a key component of the government’s broader judicial overhaul. The measure could allow the government to override legal interpretations and potentially reopen efforts to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara — an attempt blocked by the Supreme Court so far.A separate bill overhauling broadcasting regulation, which critics say expands government influence over the media and threatens the freedom of the press, also passed this week, as did legislation expanding gender-segregated academic programs. The latter drew sharp denunciation from universities and women’s groups, who argue it excludes women, undermines equality and threatens academic standards.Other coalition partners have used the moment to advance their own agendas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a package of settlement funding in the occupied West Bank, including roughly 2.4 billion shekels (approximately $790 million) for new “pioneer neighborhoods” and access roads, alongside the disclosure of an earlier decision to legalize 34 new outposts.Smotrich said these moves would bring the total number of new settlements approved under the current government to 104.Public opinion appears sharply opposed to the core of the legislative push. A July survey from Channel 12 suggested that 66% of Israelis oppose the Torah-study basic law, while 61% would rather see the next government exclude ultra-Orthodox parties altogether.Sensing the public sentiment, Netanyahu’s opponents have seized the issue as a major campaign theme. Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party who is currently polling as Netanyahu’s main challenger, denounced what he called “a reckless deal: a bloc in exchange for a state.”Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called it a “low, anti-Zionist moment,” accusing the government of “showing contempt for the soldiers, their families and the public they serve.”TEL AVIV — Israel’s parliament has officially dissolved, kicking off a high-stakes campaign for national elections on October 27.The dissolution of the 25th Knesset on Friday paves the way for a vote that is seen as a critical referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival and his wars on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.Before adjourning into recess, Netanyahu’s hardline coalition, the most nationalist in Israel’s history, also pushed through a series of controversial laws to secure its base as the Knesset held a final marathon overnight voting session.Among the legislation passed, according to state broadcaster Kan, was the Party Funding Law, which unlocks the state-regulated funds that political parties need to run their campaigns. This confirmed the October 27 election date in legal terms.The “legislative blitz” also included a sweeping Communications Law (passed 53-48), which dismantles independent media regulators in favour of a government-supervised broadcast authority.Highly divisive legislation shielding ultra-Orthodox men from military conscription was also approved.Kan noted that these moves were aimed at satisfying Netanyahu’s religious and nationalist coalition partners, protecting the government from fracturing before the campaign begins.A wave of jeers greeted Netanyahu as Israel’s parliament prepared for a blitz of controversial legislation in the government’s closing days.The commotion was so loud that Netanyahu left the chamber, sitting out the vote entirely. It passed anyway.Netanyahu’s absence didn’t slow the legislative push his coalition rushed through this week. A cluster of contentious bills were rapidly finalized – primarily designed to satisfy the demands of his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies, analysts say.After nearly four turbulent years, marked by mass protests, the October 7 attack, and a prolonged multi-front war, his government achieved a rare milestone: completing a full four-year term in office, something no Israeli government has done since 1988. It’s also something Netanyahu himself, despite being the country’s longest-serving prime minister, had never previously achieved.Due to Israel’s highly volatile political system, fragile coalition governments regularly collapse early, leading to snap elections.“Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival, and the Haredi parties are essential to it,” political analyst Nadav Eyal wrote. The goal, he said, is “showing his Haredi partners that he is the only politician who will deliver for them.”The most politically charged element of the package was legislation that enshrines the mass evasion of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, youth from military service. While Israeli law requires all 18-year-olds to serve, ultra-Orthodox men have long been exempted under historic arrangements the Supreme Court has repeatedly struck down.The issue became particularly acute during wartime: the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it’s short at least 12,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, an estimated 72,000 eligible ultra-Orthodox men are not enlisted, leaving conscript and reserve soldiers to bear the burden.Facing fierce public opposition to a sweeping exemption law, Netanyahu advanced a workaround to satisfy his ultra-Orthodox allies. One law enshrines Torah study as a foundational state value in a Basic Law, a move that critics say lays the constitutional groundwork for exemptions to survive future Supreme Court challenges. A second bill grants temporary immunity to tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders until late January 2027.Ahead of the vote, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir issued an unusual public warning, calling the legislation “inconceivable” and “inconsistent” with the army’s needs, while cautioning it could erode trust among those who do serve. The letter drew a sharp backlash from Netanyahu’s allies, with some Likud lawmakers calling for Zamir’s dismissal, and Aryeh Deri, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, accusing him of “dabbling in politics.”The bill passed regardless but is already facing legal challenges. Within hours of the vote, opposition parties petitioned the High Court of Justice, which issued a temporary injunction freezing its implementation.The draft-related laws are only one piece of a broader coalition trade-off. Ultra-Orthodox parties supported several of Netanyahu’s own priorities, including legislation curbing the authority of the attorney general, a key component of the government’s broader judicial overhaul. The measure could allow the government to override legal interpretations and potentially reopen efforts to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara — an attempt blocked by the Supreme Court so far.A separate bill overhauling broadcasting regulation, which critics say expands government influence over the media and threatens the freedom of the press, also passed this week, as did legislation expanding gender-segregated academic programs. The latter drew sharp denunciation from universities and women’s groups, who argue it excludes women, undermines equality and threatens academic standards.Other coalition partners have used the moment to advance their own agendas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a package of settlement funding in the occupied West Bank, including roughly 2.4 billion shekels (approximately $790 million) for new “pioneer neighborhoods” and access roads, alongside the disclosure of an earlier decision to legalize 34 new outposts.Smotrich said these moves would bring the total number of new settlements approved under the current government to 104.Public opinion appears sharply opposed to the core of the legislative push. A July survey from Channel 12 suggested that 66% of Israelis oppose the Torah-study basic law, while 61% would rather see the next government exclude ultra-Orthodox parties altogether.Sensing the public sentiment, Netanyahu’s opponents have seized the issue as a major campaign theme. Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the Yashar party who is currently polling as Netanyahu’s main challenger, denounced what he called “a reckless deal: a bloc in exchange for a state.”Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called it a “low, anti-Zionist moment,” accusing the government of “showing contempt for the soldiers, their families and the public they serve.”
