Israel’s government is expected to collapse over ultra-Orthodox military draft

Police use water cannon to disperse ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocking a street during a protest against the country’s military draft in Jerusalem, April 29.

Leo Correa/AP

Leo Correa/AP

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition may collapse next week, after one of his key ultra-Orthodox coalition partners called for the parliament to be dissolved.

Israeli media are widely reporting that new national elections may be called for early September.

The political crisis comes after Netanyahu told ultra-Orthodox political leaders that he would not advance legislation to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis from military service, and suggested to advance such legislation after elections, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

“We have no trust in Netanyahu anymore,” Degel HaTorah, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish faction in Netanyahu’s coalition, said in a public statement. “We must move to dissolve the parliament imminently.”

The debate over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews to Israel’s military

Exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Israeli military has been a long-running public dispute.

Most Jewish Israelis are called up to serve in the military. Israel has historically exempted young men and women from the devout ultra-Orthodox community to allow them to attend religious studies.

The Gaza war and the need for more soldiers has placed more political pressure on the community to take part in military service. Last year, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the government to draft ultra-Orthodox Israelis.

Ever since, Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox political partners have urged him to pass a new law shielding their community from the draft.

A center-right alliance seeks to unseat Netanyahu

A vote to dissolve the parliament has been called for next week. If parliament dissolves, new elections would be scheduled in three months’ time. By law, Israel must hold new elections by Oct. 27.

A right-wing former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, is a front-runner in polls, seeking to unseat Netanyahu. Bennett is running together with the centrist opposition head, Yair Lapid.

Netanyahu would remain acting prime minister until a new government is formed after elections. He is seeking a new term.

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