Israel to Hold Early Elections in April as Netanyahu's Coalition Collapses

Jerusalem: Israeli media are reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has agreed to hold early elections on April 9.

Monday's move comes after the ruling coalition appeared to come up short on votes needed to pass a contentious piece of court-ordered legislation.

Netanyahu's religious, nationalistic coalition has been roiled by internal divisions for months. Avigdor Lieberman resigned as defense minister last month to protest what he perceived to be the government's weak response to rocket attacks from Hamas-ruled Gaza.

A new law extending the military draft to ultra-Orthodox men appears to have triggered the government's downfall. Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox partners are demanding the legislation be weakened and his razor-thin parliamentary majority seems to be making such a compromise impossible.