Israel is going to the polls for general elections on April 9, 2019, seven months ahead of their scheduled date in November 2019. The heads of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition decided at a special meeting held on Monday.
The coalition leaders said in a statement that, “out of national and budgetary responsibility, the leaders of the coalition parties unanimously decided to dissolve the Knesset and go to new elections in early April after a four-year term.” The announcement came right after Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid leader said he would vote against the Defense Ministry’s bill to enlist Haredim into the IDF.
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The coalition party leaders also agreed that they would reunite following the election.
The decision to go to the polls was made after it became clear that the 61-seat coalition, with its one-seat majority, would not be able to pass the controversial Haredi enlistment bill by January 15, as the Supreme Court said.
The Likud party could have tried to pass the bill with the 61 MKs in the coalition, but the Agudat Yisrael party with its three MK have said they would not vote for it if key changes are not made.
Unlike previous stated the opposition parties Yisrael Beiteinu and Yesh Atid made it clear that they did not intend to support the law.
