Israel’s parliament voted during the early hours of Friday to dissolve itself, formally launching the country’s next general election campaign, with voters set to head to the polls on 27 October. The current legislative term will officially conclude on Saturday, bringing to a close a parliamentary session marked by a series of rapid legislative actions that expanded the government’s authority and reduced several institutional checks on executive power.
The final days of the legislature were dominated by an intensive legislative push led by the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lawmakers approved multiple measures affecting key state institutions, including the powers of the attorney general and the regulation of the media. The coalition, which includes ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties, coordinated support across its members to secure the passage of the legislation before parliament’s dissolution while reinforcing existing coalition agreements ahead of the election campaign.
The vote opens Netanyahu’s twelfth election campaign as prime minister. Having served 19 of Israel’s 78 years since its founding, Netanyahu now seeks to renew the country’s most right-wing governing coalition. The election will be the first held since the Hamas attacks in 2023 and the conflicts that followed in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Those conflicts have coincided with a decline in Israel’s international standing and ongoing proceedings before international judicial bodies examining allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Among the most significant measures passed before parliament dissolved was legislation approved on Wednesday by a vote of 65 to 51 that reduces the authority of Israel’s attorney general. Netanyahu did not participate in the vote. The law allows government ministers to reject legal positions issued by the attorney general that were previously binding and gives the executive greater authority over the appointment and dismissal of the office.
The legislation directly affects Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu’s government. Critics have described the measure as part of a broader judicial overhaul launched in 2023 that weakens institutional oversight and places greater authority in the hands of elected officials. Supporters, including the party of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, argued that the law strengthens Israeli democracy by restoring decision-making authority to elected leaders rather than unelected judicial officials. The party has also indicated that, if returned to government, it intends to pursue additional reforms that would prevent the attorney general from prosecuting senior public officials.
The government advanced the legislation after Israel’s Supreme Court blocked an attempt in 2025 to remove Baharav-Miara from office. Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon warned that the new law would normalize systematic violations of the law and described its approval as a sign that its supporters were no longer concealing their intentions.
Parliament also approved legislation on Thursday expanding government influence over the country’s media sector. Passed by a vote of 53 to 48, the law abolishes the existing media regulator and replaces it with a new council whose majority of members will be appointed by the communications minister. The legislation also increases the government’s role in allocating state advertising and exempts the pro-government Channel 14 television network from regulatory obligations estimated at around €12 million annually.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi welcomed the measure as a right-wing media reform and stated that Israel’s Supreme Court lacked the authority to overturn legislation. His comments came after the government became the first to disregard a ruling by the country’s highest court concerning reforms to the media regulator. Netanyahu did not participate in the parliamentary vote on the media legislation, while one of the legal cases against him relates to his alleged influence over the press.
Earlier in the week, the Knesset also approved measures preserving military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews, longstanding coalition partners of Netanyahu. Originally introduced at Israel’s founding for approximately 400 religious scholars devoted to Torah study, the exemption now applies to around 90,000 members of the ultra-Orthodox community. The policy has become a source of tension with other parts of Israeli society, particularly as reserve military obligations have expanded during ongoing regional conflicts.
Attention now turns to the election campaign, with early opinion polling indicating challenges for the governing coalition. A Channel 12 survey released on Wednesday suggested that Jewish opposition parties could secure a parliamentary majority without relying on Arab party alliances. According to the poll, Netanyahu’s current coalition would win 50 seats, falling short of the 61-seat majority required to form a government in the 120-member Knesset.
