Israel agrees on March 17th election, says radio station

Israeli legislators have agreed to set March 17th as the date for a new parliamentary election, Israel Radio said.

The report said the date was agreed in a meeting of the heads of parliamentary factions.

The Israeli parliament is due to hold a preliminary vote on Wednesday on dissolving itself, after right-wing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday fired two centrist cabinet members and declared an early election.

Mr Netanyahu’s government, which only took office last year, has been unravelling over an array of issues, including the 2015 budget and a Jewish nation-state bill that critics say discriminates against Arab citizens.

Two television polls on Tuesday said Mr Netanyahu's Likud party would emerge once again as the largest group in parliament if elections were held today, almost certainly ensuring him a fourth term as prime minister.

The next national ballot had not been scheduled until 2017, but Mr Netanyahu announced he wanted to dissolve parliament “as soon as possible” and hold an early election.

He also ordered the dismissals of Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, the heads of two separate centrist parties who have been chaffing against the right-wingers that predominate in the cabinet.

Reuters