Israel Sets October 27 as Date for National Elections

The Knesset Committee decided on Sunday that the Knesset will dissolve at the end of this week, on July 17, with national elections scheduled for October 27. In a rare occurrence, the election will be held on its originally scheduled date, the first time this has happened since 1988.

The committee also confirmed that the election will be administered by the Central Elections Committee, which is composed of representatives from the Knesset factions based on their relative size and is headed by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg. Din Livneh will serve as the committee's acting director general.

A final decision has not yet been made on whether the deadline for submitting party lists will be 45 or 50 days before Election Day. Livneh has requested that parties be given 50 days.

The official election period for the 26th Knesset will begin on Friday, July 17. At that point, the Knesset will enter recess, the government will assume the status of a transitional government, and legislative activity will largely be suspended, except for agreed-upon regulatory legislation and measures required to address security needs.