From Voice of America
Israeli legislators voted Wednesday to dissolve parliament and hold a general election six months ahead of schedule on April 9. The lawmakers voted 102 to 2 in favor of the moves after they were agreed to Monday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
A coalition crisis over legislation affecting exemptions from compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men led to the decisions. Netanyahu, who leads the right-wing Likud party, has been governing with a slim majority of 61 seats in the 120-member parliament.
Opinion polls suggest Nethanyahu’s party will likely win re-election. Those chances could be hurt, however, by an upcoming decision by Israel’s attorney general on whether to file charges against Netanyahu. Netanyahu is facing a series of corruption allegations and an indictment would pressure the prime minister to resign.
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