Israel’s parliament has voted to dissolve itself, sending the country to an unprecedented second snap election this year as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition before a midnight deadline.
The Knesset, which came into office less than two months ago, voted early Thursday 74-45 to disperse and call new elections.
Netanyahu appeared to cruise to victory in April 9 elections. But infighting among ultra-Orthodox and secular ultranationalist allies, and disagreement over proposed bills to protect Netanyahu from prosecution stymied his efforts to form a coalition.
Rather than concede that task to one of his rivals, Netanyahu’s Likud party advanced a bill to dissolve parliament and send the country to the polls for a second time this year.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine