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Israeli Parliament Votes to Dissolve Parliament and Hold Early Elections

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks with Israeli Knesset member Ayman Odeh during a session in Jerusalem, Dec. 26, 2018.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks with Israeli Knesset member Ayman Odeh during a session in Jerusalem, Dec. 26, 2018.

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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