Shas meets amid disagreements within Netanyahu's government that could lead to the dissolution of the Knesset

Israel's religious Shas party is meeting on Wednesday amid disagreements within Benjamin Netanyahu's government that could lead to the dissolution of the Knesset and early elections.

In contrast, in the evening, Netanyahu will attempt to contain the dispute with the religious United Torah Judaism alliance, which is threatening to withdraw from the government and vote to dissolve the Knesset.

The opposition, represented by the Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Democratic parties, announced its intention to submit a bill next week to dissolve the Knesset.

The United Torah Judaism coalition is pushing for passage of a bill exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, and at the very least, to halt punitive measures against those who refuse to serve until the bill is passed.

For his part, Netanyahu wants to pass the controversial bill, but he first needs to ensure its passage in the Knesset, given the opposition of some members of his own Likud party.

The opposition hopes that the disagreements within the government will lead to the passage of a bill to dissolve the Knesset, but the silence of the religious Shas party makes this possibility uncertain.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Wednesday that "Shas party leader Aryeh Deri summoned the party's ministers and Knesset members to an emergency meeting at the party's headquarters, in light of the coalition crisis."

Until Wednesday, Shas remained silent on the escalating crisis between Likud and the United Torah Judaism alliance, which is threatening to vote to dissolve the Knesset.

The ruling coalition has 68 seats in the 120-member Knesset, and needs 61 to remain in power.

The United Torah Judaism coalition consists of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael, two small Haredi political parties.

United Torah Judaism has 7 seats, meaning it cannot dissolve the Knesset, while Shas has 11 seats, meaning it can do so.

Netanyahu, whose corruption trial has entered a critical phase, is trying to preserve the survival of his government, which has been committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the twentieth month.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu is expected to meet with Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein on Wednesday evening, after the chief rabbis ordered the religious parties to withdraw from the government.

She added that Likud accuses senior MK Edelstein of obstructing efforts to pass a law exempting ultra-Orthodox men from military service, pushing the coalition toward collapse.

Edelstein is overseeing the controversial draft law and has resisted pressure from Likud to soften his stance. Party officials say his refusal to compromise threatens the coalition's stability at a sensitive security moment, the newspaper reported.

Officials from the United Torah Judaism alliance described their meeting with Edelstein on Tuesday evening as tense.

The official Israeli Broadcasting Authority said, "The gaps between the two sides regarding the draft exemption law remain wide, and the threat of dissolving the government is closer than ever."

She continued: "The struggle over the conscription law today appears to be a litmus test for the Netanyahu government's survival, and the decisions of the Haredi rabbis may shape the next political phase."

However, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that despite the Haredi threat to dissolve the Knesset, sources close to Netanyahu insist that the Knesset will not be dissolved, despite growing fears of early elections.

This crisis is escalating as Israel has been waging a genocidal war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the offensive.