JERUSALEM: Israel’s parliament began rushing through a bill on Wednesday to call a third general election within a year, as talks between embattled premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his centrist rival broke down ahead of a midnight deadline.

Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz, both of whom have failed to build a governing majority in the Knesset, or parliament, since a deadlocked vote in September, have spent days trading blame for the failing coalition talks.

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli parliament passed 50-0 a preliminary reading of a bill immediately dissolving parliament and setting a new election for March 2.

It must face three more plenary readings and votes during the day before passing into law.

A new election would be another challenge for Netanyahu — Israel’s longest serving premier, now governing in a caretaker capacity — at a time when he must fend off a leadership vote in his right-wing Likud party.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2019