Dissolution bill passes first reading in Israeli parliament

Israel's parliament Knesset approved late Monday the first reading of a bill to dissolve itself.

As many as 106 out of 120 members voted in favor of the bill, with no votes against, according to Israel’s Channel 12.

The bill includes a potential election window between Sept. 8 and Oct. 20, Israeli news website Walla reported.

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party is pushing for elections on Sept.15, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party wants to postpone the date until the end of the term.

The legislative elections in Israel had originally been scheduled for Oct. 27, but the government’s failure to pass a law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service has increased pressure for an early vote.

Under Israeli law, the bill must pass three readings in order to become law.

Walla said that the bill will return to a Knesset committee after its approval in the first reading, in preparation for putting it to a vote in the second and third readings and setting a date for elections.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel