JOL

Israel is now heading for its third general election within a year – an unprecedented situation for the country.

The Israeli Parliament has adopted laws on dissolving the Knesset and holding early general election on 2 March 2020 in second and third readings, Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not attend the first reading that took place on late Wednesday, took part in the second and third readings.

The parliament has also voted to set the election date on 2 March instead of 10 March, when Israelis will be celebrating Purim.

Israel has been embroiled in a political crisis since the April election when Netanyahu’s party won the poll but fell short of obtaining the majority needed to form a government. In the second election held in September, the Likud Party also failed to secure a majority in the Knesset.​

At the same time, Netanyahu is facing criminal charges on corruption, including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust – three corruption cases in total. Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, said that the process is meant to topple him and called it “an attempted coup” against an acting prime minister.