Charedi parties in the Knesset are reportedly threatening to dissolve the Knesset, forcing fresh elections, amid discontent over the changes to IDF draft rules.
Both Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) – an alliance of the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah parties – are “actively discussing” the prospect of leaving the governing coalition, led by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, according to the Times of Israel.
If they did so, it would be enough to collapse the coalition, leaving Netanyahu scrambling to find new partners to stave off a new round of elections.
Even if only one of the parties went ahead, Shas has enough coalition seats to plunge the coalition into the minority, while UTJ’s withdrawal would leave the government and opposition with equal representation.
However, the report suggests that Yitzchak Goldknopf, the UTJ chair, is pushing for the parties to advance a joint bill to dissolve the Knesset, effectively forcing a fresh round of elections, which has reportedly been backed by Shas.
The duo’s anger is primarily focussed on the government’s failure to pass a bill excusing yeshiva students from military service after the Supreme Court struck down the de facto exemption granted by a special agreement called Torato Umanuto.
Charedi leaders are adamant that young Orthodox men should be granted an exemption to allow them to continue their study of Torah, which they see as their religious duty.
But, in June last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Charedi boys are eligible for conscription, sparking violent clashes between Orthodox communities and soldiers enforcing draft orders.
The latest row over the measures has been prompted by reports that the IDF will begin increasing the number of draft orders it sends to previously-exempted groups.
According to Behadrei Haredim, a Charedi news site, UTJ’s Council of Torah Sages will meet today to update its MKs with “a dramatic ruling” and discuss the way forward.
Another outet, Kikar Hashabbat, quoted Shas and UTJ officials saying: “The issue of the draft and dissolution of the government will be decided within a few days, not weeks… If there is no agreement on the principles of the law, we will withdraw from the government in the coming days.”
The parties are also set on maintaining their partial Knesset boycott, in which they block all private members bills sponsored by coalition members, until a bill is passed granting the exemption.
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee is currently scrutinising legislation designed to regulate Charedi conscription, though it’s chair – Likud MK Yuli Edelstein – has indicated that it will “significantly increase the IDF’s conscription base” and rejected suggestions that it should place significant restrictions on drafting Charedim.
However, the government did receive some degree of support from Opposition and Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid.
While Lapid condemned Netanyahu for failing to reach an agreement with the Charedi parties, he backed the principle of conscription, saying: “A prime minister with a shred of responsibility left in him should have told the Charedim [that] on October 7, everything changed.
"We are at war, we don’t have enough soldiers, your evasion [of military service]is over.”
