Israel has backed a bill to dissolve parliament
On Wednesday, the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, passed a bill on self-dissolution in its first reading. The bill could lead to early elections as early as September. It was approved by 110 out of 120 lawmakers. The bill must pass three more votes to be finalized.
This was reported by Bloomberg.
It is worth noting that regular elections in Israel were already scheduled to take place by the end of October, when the four-year term of Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government ends. At the same time, the current vote has revealed serious divisions within the ruling coalition.
One of the main causes of the conflict was the dissatisfaction of Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies over the lack of a law that would permanently exempt a significant portion of their community from military service. This issue has become particularly sensitive against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hamas, Iran-backed groups, and Iran itself.
Since the start of hostilities in October 2023, hundreds of thousands of citizens have been mobilized into the Israeli army’s reserves, intensifying public debate over the equality of military duty.
Opinion polls indicate that no political party currently has a guaranteed majority. Former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who announced this month that they would run together in the election, could become the main rivals of the Likud party. Under the agreement, if a government is formed, Bennett could lead it. Former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot is also participating in the election campaign.
It is worth noting that the opposition accuses Netanyahu of failing to fulfill his promise of a “complete victory” in the war. Critics believe that the protracted conflict has seriously damaged the country’s economy, increased the burden on the army, and deepened internal political tensions.
Netanyahu himself claims that the military campaign has inflicted significant losses on Israel’s enemies and is not yet over. The prime minister also actively emphasizes cooperation with U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly in the context of strikes against Iran.
Prague will block EU sanctions against Israel.
Tighter EU sanctions could complicate Russia’s Arctic logistics operations. This specifically concerns the calls by Russian icebreakers at the Norwegian port of Honningsvåg, which have become part of Russia’s logistics routes in the Arctic. Against the backdrop of sanctions, it cannot be ruled out that Norway may cease servicing these vessels.
The EU has expandedsanctions against Russia for the abduction of Ukrainian children.
A high-level meeting dedicated to the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia will take place in Brussels on May 11. It will be jointly hosted by the European Union, Ukraine, and Canada. During the event, participants plan to discuss specific mechanisms for returning the children to Ukraine, as well as steps to hold Russia accountable.
