do not publish - Israeli parliament dissolved, elections in January

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel's parliament voted overnight to dissolve itself and hold early elections on January 22, officials said on Tuesday.

The dissolution of the Knesset was approved by 100 votes to none in a third reading after a lengthy session in the 120-seat chamber.

Last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he wanted to bring forward the election - originally scheduled for October 2013 - because of the current deadlock among coalition partners over the passage of a budget packed with austerity measures.

Opinion polls suggest that Likud-leader Netenyahu and his coalition of right-wing and religious parties will win comfortably given the current regional tensions and the world economic crisis.