Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition narrowly survived a parliamentary vote early Thursday, defeating an opposition bid to dissolve the Knesset and trigger snap elections. The motion failed 61-53, with most ultra-Orthodox lawmakers backing Netanyahu after last-minute negotiations. The vote postpones elections until at least late 2026 and marks the most severe challenge to Netanyahu’s government since the Gaza war began.
The opposition leveraged fury over military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim), who comprise 13% of Israel’s population. While mandatory conscription applies to most citizens, Haredim receive de facto exemptions for religious studies—a policy dating to Israel’s founding. With the military stretched thin after 20 months of war in Gaza, public anger has mounted over the exemption of 13,000 eligible Haredi men annually, of whom fewer than 10% enlist. Netanyahu’s Likud party pressured him to draft more Haredim, but ultra-Orthodox coalition partners threatened to collapse the government if exemptions were scrapped.
Hours before the vote, Likud’s Yuli Edelstein announced a breakthrough: “agreements on the principles” for a new conscription law. Though details remain undisclosed, the deal persuaded key ultra-Orthodox parties (Shas and United Torah Judaism) to reject the dissolution bill. Edelstein framed it as “historic news” for military recruitment. However, Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf resigned in protest, signaling lingering tensions.
The political crisis unfolds amid Israel’s longest war, which has killed 54,000 Palestinians and displaced 700,000 in Gaza. Opposition leader Merav Michaeli called Netanyahu’s government “toxic,” urging an end to the war and hostage returns. Meanwhile, international backlash intensifies: the UN accused Israel of “extermination” in Gaza, while European nations demand a ceasefire. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that elections would pose an “existential danger,” claiming Haredim must fight for Israel’s survival.
Netanyahu faces criticism for prioritizing political survival over security. Reports reveal he authorized arming anti-Hamas clans in Gaza—a move opposition leaders decried as creating “a new ticking time-bomb”. His Gaza plan, described by the BBC as risking “killing Palestinians and horrifying the world,” includes forced displacement of civilians, which the UN condemns as a potential war crime. With hostage families protesting and reservists refusing duty, Netanyahu’s six-month reprieve may prove tenuous.