The Knesset voted today to dissolve itself and hold new elections on November 1, 2022. Following the vote to dissolve the Knesset, the law that imposes Israeli civil authority and regulations over settlements in the occupied West Bank will be automatically extended. The Joint List supported the vote to dissolve the Knesset, along with the coalition.
In addition, the Knesset approved the decision of the General Election Financing Committee to raise the funding per seat to 1.6 million shekels. The law dissolving the Knesset was passed in the plenary after attempts by the coalition and the opposition to reach an agreement failed last night. Accordingly, the Metro (Light Rail) Law and the Visa Law regarding the United States will not move forward.
For his part, the head of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, stated that “on the first of November, the democratic public that desires peace and equality will vote and will defeat the forces of occupation and supremacy.”
During the speech of opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, a dispute broke out in the General Assembly. United Arab List leader MK Abbas shouted at the opposition leader, “Thanks to the cooperation with the establishment of this government.” Netanyahu rebuked Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy, “This is not how a session is conducted.”
The statements came after Netanyahu said that “the only government that Yair Lapid can form is with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Joint List. Lapid has agreed with the United Arab List (UAL) and the Joint List to support them in the next government.”
UAL leader MK Mansour Abbas said in the general assembly, “It is the first time that an Arab party participates in the coalition. This has allowed all of us to offer a moral, ethical, and political alternative that has been shown to work together. There was no conflict between the parties except for some Knesset Members who did not understand the issue. I hope that the public will give the coalition the mandate to continue after the elections. We are still at the beginning of the road.”
Polling following the dissolution of the Knesset by Channel 12 showed that the current coalition will win 56 seats, while the Likud, Religious Zionism, and the ultra-Orthodox parties (Haredi) will win 58 seats.
The results of the Channel 12 poll: