Failing to form a narrow coalition government in the wake of Labor's walkout last week, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon informed President Moshe Katzav that he was unable to maintain a majority in the Knesset. The dissolution of the 15th Knesset was announced shortly thereafter. The Israeli paper Ha'aretz reported that elections to Israel's 16th Knesset are tentatively scheduled for Jan. 28, 2003.

What Does this Mean for the Future of the Knesset?

Upon Sharon's decision to call for early elections, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the Prime Minister's invitation to join the government. He was sworn in Wednesday as Israel's Foreign Minister. He is also expected to run against Sharon in the Likud primary, which will take place in approximately three weeks.

The primary in the Labor Party will be held, as planned, on Nov. 19. Running for leader of the Labor party are former Defense Minister and incumbent party chairman, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, MK Haim Ramon, and Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna.  According to a recent poll amongst Labor party members, Mitzna is leading with 43 percent, followed by Ben-Eliezer with 25 percent, and Ramon trailing with 18 percent. If none of the three candidates gets 40 percent of the vote, a run-off will be held on Dec3. 

About one week after the primaries for the party leadership in both the Likud and Labor, the remainder of the party's candidates for the Knesset will be chosen. In the Likud, the central committee of 2,750 people will elect the prospective MKs. In Labor, there is still discussion about the system to be employed in electing the members of the Knesset list. According to Ha'aretz, there are those who prefer not to hold primaries and to give the job over to a committee but many of the senior party members are opposed to this. The issue will be determined after the election of the party's leader.

What is the Status of the Current Knesset?

Israel's last general election was held in 1999. Under a system that has since been scrapped, Sharon was elected in a separate prime ministerial ballot in February 2001. Once Parliament is dissolved, Sharon's administration becomes a transition government that no member can quit until after Election Day, and that cannot be taken down by a vote of no confidence.

How do Knesset Elections Work?

Knesset elections are based on a vote for a party rather than for individuals -- under Israel's parliamentary system, each voter selects a party, not a candidate, in casting a ballot. 120 Knesset seats are assigned in proportion to each party's percentage of the total national vote. However, the minimum required for a party to win a Knesset seat is 1.5 percent of the total votes cast. After the election, Israel's President will select one member of the Parliament -- most likely the leader of the party with the most seats -- to form a new government and serve as Prime Minister.

Knesset seats are assigned in proportion to each party's percentage of the total national vote. A party's surplus votes, which are insufficient for an additional seat, are redistributed among the various parties according to their proportional size resulting from the elections, or as agreed between parties prior to the election.

The number and order of members entering the new Knesset for each party corresponds to its list of candidates as presented for election. Should an MK resign or pass away in the course of the Knesset term, the next person on that party's list automatically replaces him/her.

To date, all governments have been based on coalitions of several parties, since no party has received enough Knesset seats to be able to form a government by itself.