The professor continued: “He wants to turn around to the attorney general and say: ‘Before you decide to prosecute me, pay attention. The people of Israel have re-elected me for a fourth time’ — hopefully he will be able to say with more seats than ever before — ‘You cannot overturn the results of a democratic election.’”

Asked by a reporter whether he expected the attorney general to postpone a decision until after the election campaign, perhaps not wanting to be seen as swaying the outcome, Mr. Netanyahu replied, “I have no expectations.”

Political analysts said the dispute over the enlistment law provided Mr. Netanyahu with a convenient premise for calling an early election, allowing him to blame the ultra-Orthodox politicians within his coalition and the opposition parties who are against the legislation.

The looming crisis over the law allowed Mr. Netanyahu to control the timing both of the dissolution of Parliament, expected later this week, and of the next elections, which are expected to take place on April 9.

Still, elections can be a gamble for Mr. Netanyahu, who is banking on winning a fourth consecutive term in office, and his fifth over all.

Despite the corruption investigations, Mr. Netanyahu’s popularity does not appear to have been seriously dented, and his conservative party, Likud, performs far better than any other in polls.

This is in part because many Israelis do not consider any of his current opponents on the right, in the center or on the left as qualified to be prime minister.