Israel was slated to hold national elections later this year, but if the ultra-Orthodox parties have their way, they’ll topple the Netanyahu government before that and spark slightly earlier elections.
The crisis escalated Tuesday after the seven-seat United Torah Judaism party said it would seek to dissolve the Knesset over the coalition’s failure to pass legislation preserving military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students.
The move followed a statement by Rabbi Dov Lando, the senior spiritual leader of UTJ’s Degel HaTorah faction, who said the party no longer trusts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and must act to bring elections forward.
“We no longer have any trust in Netanyahu,” Lando said, according to reports. “The concept of a right-wing bloc no longer exists as far as we are concerned.”
UTJ formally left the government last year amid the long-running dispute over the draft law but remained central to Netanyahu’s political math. Its second faction, Agudat Yisrael, also indicated it would support dissolving the Knesset if a vote is brought.
Opposition exploits the rift
Opposition parties moved quickly. Yesh Atid asked Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to fast-track a dissolution bill for a preliminary vote as early as Wednesday, while lawmakers from Yisrael Beytenu, the Democrats and Ra’am also submitted bills to disperse parliament.
Still, early elections are not automatic. Dissolving the Knesset requires four plenum votes and a 61-seat majority. The decisive question may be the position of Shas, the 11-seat ultra-Orthodox party that quit government posts last year but has continued supporting the coalition in parliament. Shas has not formally clarified its stance, though Israeli media reported it may back dissolution.
No majority to preserve Haredi exemption
The immediate crisis stems from Netanyahu’s reported admission to Haredi lawmakers that the coalition lacks the votes to pass the exemption bill and his request that the issue be postponed until after elections.
The draft exemption issue has become more politically explosive since the multi-front war that began with the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. The IDF says it urgently needs additional manpower, while some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men of draft age remain outside military service.
Former Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein, who was removed after opposing what he viewed as an evasion law, said Tuesday the collapse proved his warnings correct.
Coalition figures urged the Haredi parties not to topple the government, arguing that early elections would only benefit Netanyahu’s opponents.
But the coalition’s uncertainty was already visible Wednesday, as Netanyahu’s camp removed all bills from the Knesset agenda amid concern it no longer commands a majority.
General elections must be held by October 27, 2026, but if the crisis accelerates, Israelis could be voting much sooner.
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