Knesset disbands with bangs and whimpers

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The Knesset voted early Friday morning to disband itself ahead of the October 27 election, heading into a recess after the coalition’s last-ditch blitz succeeded in passing a spate of controversial legislation into law.

Addressing the plenum, Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, called the 25th Knesset the “most challenging” in Israeli history, encompassing Israel's longest war and widespread social upheaval.

Schneider takes us back to the beginning of the Knesset session and explains which aspects of the judicial overhaul package have passed -- and what moves the Supreme Court has made to counter some of them.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Knesset officially disperses, after coalition completes its drastic legislative blitz

Coalition passes media overhaul law, giving government greater regulatory control

Coalition’s ‘legislative blitz’ is designed to shore-up, unshackle right-wing power

Coalition passes law gutting attorney general’s powers, removing key check on government

Iran said to tell Hezbollah, allies to prepare for wider conflict, which could rope in Israel

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