Israel's parliament to be dissolved, Lapid to become premier

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday agreed to table a bill next week for the dissolution of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), and the latter will be appointed as prime minister, state media reported.

As part of the agreement, a vote will be held in the Knesset next week, after which Lapid will take over the premiership until new elections are held, according to KAN TV.

Israeli Channel 12 said general elections could be held on October 25, Israel’s fifth vote in four years.

Lapid and Bennett formed a coalition in June 2021, ending the rule of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But their parliamentary majority ended as a handful of members withdrew from the alliance.

The situation worsened for Bennett-Lapid coalition after the Knesset failed to pass and extend an emergency bill regarding Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank, which expires by the end of June.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this story