ISRAEL’S parliament voted today to dissolve itself, marking the end of a year-old experimental coalition government, and sending the country to the polls in November for the fifth time in less than four years.

Yair Lapid, Israel’s foreign minister and architect of the outgoing coalition government, will become the country’s caretaker prime minister just after midnight tomorrow.

He will be the 14th person to hold that office, taking over from Naftali Bennett, Israel’s shortest serving prime minister.

Following the vote, Mr Lapid embraced Mr Bennett before the two swapped chairs. He posted, “thanks, Naftali, my brother” on Twitter.

The government collapsed just over a year after it was formed in a move that saw long-time leader Benjamin Netanyahu ousted after 12 years in power by a coalition of ideologically diverse parties, the first to include an Arab faction.

The motion to dissolve passed with 92 lawmakers in favour, and none against, after days of bickering over the date of new elections and other last-minute legislation.

New elections will be held on November 1.