Discussions on the coalition’s controversial haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft bill were scheduled on Sunday to return to the Knesset’s agenda for advancement this coming Wednesday, ahead of its final readings, amid the crisis in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition with the haredi parties.
The rescheduling of the contentious draft legislation comes after the first vote on the bill to dissolve the Knesset was set for Wednesday, a move that had the backing of both the coalition and opposition parties and could trigger elections slightly earlier.
In response to the reports that Netanyahu was again advancing the draft bill, a statement was released saying that members of Knesset from Degel HaTorah – a faction within the haredi United Torah Judaism party – were still in favor of dissolving the Knesset.
The statement said they had been instructed by their spiritual leader, Rabbi Dov Lando, to support the dissolution of the Knesset and “not be drawn into political games.”
Tensions between the haredi parties and Netanyahu’s coalition escalated last Tuesday, when it was reported that Netanyahu informed representatives of United Torah Judaism that the coalition did not have the majority needed to pass the haredi conscription bill.
That led Degel HaTorah’s spiritual leader to write in a letter to the faction’s Knesset members that “We no longer have trust in Netanyahu.”
“Steps must be taken to dissolve the Knesset as soon as possible. All kinds of talk about a ‘bloc’ no longer exist,” the letter added.
Source to ‘Post’: PMO holding talks to secure majority
A coalition source familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post that over the weekend and throughout Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office had been counting who in the coalition would vote in favor of the conscription bill and holding talks to secure a majority.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized Netanyahu and the reports that the haredi legislation was being advanced again.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows he is facing defeat in the elections and will do everything he can in order to gain a few more days in the Prime Minister’s Office,” Lapid wrote in a post on X/Twitter.
Lapid added that Netanyahu’s “attempt to ‘sell out Israel’s security’ and try to pass an exemption-from-service law is another act of betrayal toward IDF soldiers and reserve service members.”
The haredi draft bill being advanced in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is highly controversial. Critics argue that the legislation is primarily intended to appease the haredi parties in Netanyahu’s coalition and would not increase enlistment.
Several coalition lawmakers have stated that they oppose the bill’s current outline for that reason and would vote against it. The IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage, especially after more than two years of war.
The opposition brought forward a bill last week to dissolve the Knesset in an attempt to trigger early elections, with the support of the haredi parties.
Late Wednesday night, the coalition also submitted its own bill to dissolve the Knesset, with the full backing of party leaders in Netanyahu’s coalition.
The coalition’s dissolution bill has been viewed as a way for Netanyahu to control the pace of the process and the timing of the elections.
Reports last week said the haredi parties were seeking to move the election date up to September, ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, while Netanyahu opposed the move and instead sought to keep elections in October.
Even if elections are moved up from October 27, they cannot take place in August or earlier because at least 90 days must pass after the Knesset dissolution bill is approved before elections can be held.
