After a dramatic night in which the Knesset voted to dissolve itself, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit another milestone—becoming the first Israeli prime minister to complete a full term since 1988.
The Knesset plenary completed the legislative process in the early morning hours and gave final approval to the dissolution clause. With that, the current Knesset session ended, and the legislature officially entered election recess, which begins Saturday and continues until the 26th Knesset convenes.
1+Throughout the night, an intense battle played out within the coalition to secure the necessary majority. After several Knesset members, including Dan Illouz, were absent at one point and didn’t answer their phones, the decision was made to rush Netanyahu and the defense minister to the Knesset to help round up votes. Only after the 61st vote was secured did the plenary give final approval to the dissolution clause.
Against the backdrop of the turbulent political night, Netanyahu also notched a personal historic achievement. He became the first prime minister to complete a full term since 1988—a milestone not recorded in Israel for decades, amid a string of election cycles and government turnovers.
1+As he left the Knesset, Netanyahu was asked by our political correspondent Moti Kastel how he sums up the term. He replied tersely: “This is just the beginning.”