Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will call a snap election early next year. He apparently hopes to use his current popularity to strengthen his political position, NHK World reported.

Netanyahu announced in a televised address on Tuesday, October 9 that he had decided to hold an early election for the benefit of Israel. The general election was initially scheduled for late 2013.

He said the main reason for the decision is that the governing coalition failed to agree on spending cuts for next year's draft budget.

Netanyahu is widely expected to win a fresh mandate.

A recent opinion poll shows his right-wing Likud party has a high support rate and the prime minister has no major rivals.

He is believed to be trying to consolidate his power partly to maintain his tough stance on Iran. Netanyahu has signaled that his government may take military action against Iran because of its nuclear program.