Ultra-Orthodox Jews threaten Netanyahu with dissolving the Knesset unless he speeds up the law exempting them from conscription

The Hebrew Broadcasting Authority reported on Monday evening that the ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) threatened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with supporting the dissolution of the Knesset (parliament) and going to early elections, unless he accelerates the pace of discussions on a bill that exempts them from conscription.

Previously, the parties "Shas" (11 MKs) and "Yahadut Hatorah" (7 MKs), which represent the "Haredim", threatened to topple the government if the conscription law is not passed, which could lead to early elections, while the current Knesset's term ends in October 2026.

The governing coalition, including the Haredim, holds 68 seats in the Knesset out of 120, and needs at least 61 seats to remain in power.

The "Haredim" continue their protests against conscription in the army following the Supreme Court's decision on June 25, 2024, obligating them to conscript and preventing the provision of financial aid to religious institutions whose students refuse military service.

The "Haredim" constitute about 13 percent of Israel's population of 10 million people, and they refuse military service on the grounds of dedicating their lives to studying the Torah, asserting that integration into secular society poses a threat to their religious identity and the continuity of their community.

The authority stated on Monday evening that the Haredi MKs (18 out of 120) threatened to support dissolving the Knesset if the pace of discussions on the conscription law is not accelerated.

It added that they clarified in a letter delivered to Netanyahu's office on Monday "that if the pace is not accelerated, they will not only withhold support for the budget, but will also push for elections".

The authority noted that the possibility of voting on the law to dissolve the Knesset was only brought up for a vote this week, due to the parliamentary rule that prohibits re-proposing any motion rejected in the general vote for voting on it for 6 months.

It explained that "only now have 6 months passed since the vote that was rejected on the eve of the attack on Iran".

On June 12, the Knesset rejected by a majority of 61 MKs against 53 in favor a bill proposed by the opposition to dissolve the Knesset, and thus organize early legislative elections.

On Thursday, the broadcasting authority reported that Netanyahu said during his meeting with MKs from the "Yahadut Hatorah" (Jewish Torah) party to discuss the exemption from conscription issue, that going to elections "would be a mistake".

At the time, Netanyahu said: "The conscription law must be explained to the public, and I believe there will be no more than two or three opponents from the coalition in the end. We will be required to complete this legislation as soon as possible", according to the same source.

For about two weeks, the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has been discussing the conscription bill proposed by the committee chairman Boaz Bismut from the Likud party led by Netanyahu.

The bill stipulates "the possibility of granting annual deferments from conscription to students of religious institutions who are fully dedicated to study and do not engage in any other profession, and it removed several clauses from a previous version that aimed to ensure the actual commitment of those registered in religious institution studies to the study", according to the "Times of Israel" newspaper.

According to the newspaper, "several members of the ruling coalition, in addition to the opposition, criticized the bill, saying it contains loopholes and ineffective penalties that do not encourage conscription".

Over the decades, the "Haredim" have managed to avoid conscription upon reaching 18 years of age by obtaining repeated deferments on the pretext of studying in religious institutions, until reaching the exemption age, which is currently 26 years.