Israel to hold new election as Netanyahu fails to form coalition

Israeli lawmakers have voted to dissolve parliament after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government. The vote triggered a fresh election, which will be held on September 17. 

Parliament voted 74-45 in favour of dissolving itself after Netanyahu missed a midnight local time (21:00 GMT) deadline on May 29.

It is the first time in Israel's history that a prime minister-designate has failed to form a coalition.

Netanyahu will now remain in power until September's vote.

Netanyahu entered negotiations to form a coalition government after his Likud Party won 35 of the Knesset's 120 seats in April's election, setting him up for a fifth term in office. But he clashed with former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose support in the talks became vital.

Lieberman, from the nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, had made it a condition of allying with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties that they change their military draft exemptions.

Netanyahu pushed for new elections to prevent Israeli President Reuven Rivlin selecting another member of parliament to try to form a government.

"We'll run a sharp, clear election campaign which will bring us victory. We'll win, we'll win and the public will win," BBC cited Netanyahu as saying.