TEL AVIV, July 17, 2026 (WAFA) -- The Israeli Knesset voted early Friday to dissolve itself after approving a political party funding bill in its second and third readings, which included a provision to bring forward the date of the next elections.

A total of 62 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, with the next Knesset elections scheduled to take place on October 27, 2026, according to Arab48 News.

The vote followed hours of uncertainty over the passage of the dissolution bill due to a dispute between Shas party leader Aryeh Deri and the opposition over the party funding law and an increase in financial allocations for political parties.

Deri had refused to support the bill without opposition backing, arguing that increasing party funding would benefit opposition parties more than his own, while seeking to avoid bearing sole public criticism over the decision.

Had the bill not passed, the dissolution of the Knesset would have been delayed until the following week, allowing the government to continue advancing several legislative proposals while depriving parties of millions of shekels allocated for their election campaigns.

M.N