Netanyahu Achieves Historic Milestone by Completing Full Term as Israeli Prime Minister

In a dramatic vote held overnight that officially launched the race for Israel's 26th Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked a historic milestone in his political career. With the approval of the dissolution law in the plenum, Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister since the late 1980s to bring his government to the completion of a full term. This achievement was not easily secured and was decided only in the final moments before the vote.

Coalition leaders fought intensely for every vote to secure the necessary majority of 61 Knesset members amid concerns as several MKs, including Dan Illouz, were unresponsive and absent from the plenum. The situation created significant anxiety among party leaders that the entire move could collapse due to insufficient support. To resolve the deadlock and stabilize the coalition, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister were urgently summoned to closely oversee the vote gathering.

After frantic efforts, the crucial 61st vote was finally obtained, the dissolution law was passed, and the current Knesset was officially dissolved. The election recess will begin the following day and continue until the next Knesset is sworn in. Given Israel's political landscape over the past three decades, characterized by frequent crises, early coalition breakdowns, and repeated elections, Netanyahu's ability to maintain coalition stability and complete a full term is an exceptional event not seen in nearly 40 years.