In Jerusalem, the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, successfully navigated a significant political challenge as an attempt to dissolve parliament was thwarted early Thursday. This came in response to a legislative proposal that sought to impose military service obligations on the ultra-Orthodox community, even amidst ongoing conflict. This vote emerges as the most formidable threat to Netanyahu’s administration since the unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which set off the current conflict in Gaza.
The failure of the dissolution bill ensures no similar legislative attempts can be made for the next six months, thereby stabilizing Netanyahu’s coalition. The government’s previous inability to pass legislation that exempts ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service has been a point of contention within Israeli society, especially during the prolonged conflict in Gaza.
Despite hopes from opposition parties that public discontent over military exemptions would destabilize the government, only a pair of the 18 ultra-Orthodox lawmakers backed the bill. The majority of these lawmakers decided to oppose the proposal following assurances from Yuli Edelstein, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Edelstein announced that a preliminary agreement was reached with ultra-Orthodox parties regarding a new draft law, discussions for which will continue into the next week.
In the wake of these developments, Yitzhak Goldknopf, leader of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, stepped down from his role as the Minister of Construction and Housing in a demonstration of disapproval, yet remains a Knesset member. According to his spokesperson, Ari Kalman, Goldknopf’s resignation was fuelled by frustration over repeated delays by Netanyahu in advancing the exemption legislation.
In Israel, military service is compulsory for most Jewish citizens. However, the ultra-Orthodox community, which comprises approximately 13% of the population, has historically been granted exemptions on the grounds of full-time religious study. The ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim—translated as “God-fearing” in Hebrew—argue that military service could compromise their cultural and religious traditions. Official figures suggest that annually, some 13,000 Haredim reach the enlistment age, yet less than 10% of them actually join the military service, according to data discussed by the parliament’s State Control Committee.
As Israel endures the longest ongoing war in its history, the military is stretched unprecedentedly thin. The pervasive reluctance of the Haredim to fulfill military duties and their threats to destabilize the government amid wartime have incited anger across Israel, particularly among those citizens who have been called upon for reserve duty on numerous occasions.