Potential imminent downfall of Netanyahu's administration due to ultraconservative disagreements on mandatory military service for Orthodox Jews.
Takeover Threat for Netanyahu's Government Looms as Ultra-Orthodox Partners Threaten Parliament Dissolution
BNEI BARAK, Israel–– Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government stands on shaky ground as key coalition partners have vowed to bring down his administration. The impending vote to disperse parliament, slated for Wednesday, could mark the downfall of Israel's longest-serving prime minister, who has been dogged by corruption charges for years, or his far-right government still holding power in the wake of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.
Although many anticipate that Netanyahu will pull off a last-minute deal, this parliamentary dissolution attempt is the most serious challenge to his government since the war's inception. Collapse of the coalition could have significant implications for Israel and the ongoing war.
The Root of the Contention: Military Service Exemption for the Ultra-Orthodox
The move to dissolve parliament hinges on Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners abandoning him due to the failure to pass a law granting military service exemptions to their community. This contentious matter has stirred deep divisions within Israeli society, particularly during the protracted Gaza conflict.
Ultra-Orthodox men, who account for around 13% of the Israeli population, historically received exemptions from military service if they were studying full-time in religious seminaries. The government subsidies extended to seminary students until the age of 26 have sparked outrage among the general public, as nearly three years of military service and subsequent reserve duty are legally mandated for most Jewish men, with women serving for two years.
After Hamas' 2023 attack, Israel mobilized 360,000 reservists, marking its largest mobilization since the 1973 Mideast war. With the conflict stretching Israel's robust military to its limits, the ongoing exemptions have become more contentious: frustrated reserve soldiers have rejected new call-ups, while the military has turned to social media to recruit volunteers to continue serving.
The Tradition of the Ultra-Orthodox Exemption: An Overview
The tradition of exempting the ultra-Orthodox from military service dates back to Israel's founding in 1948, when a policy was initiated to provide exemptions to gifted scholars in response to the decimation of Jewish scholarship during the Holocaust. As politically powerful religious parties grew in influence, the numbers of exempted individuals soared, reaching tens of thousands today.
In 2017, Israel's Supreme Court declared the exemptions to be unconstitutional, but repeated extensions and government stall tactics have prevented the passage of a replacement law. Mandatory military service is generally seen as a melting pot and rite of passage among Israel's Jewish majority, while some within the ultra-Orthodox community resist their children participating due to concerns about exposure to diverse backgrounds and ideas.
The Consequences of Dissolving Parliament: Prospects and Implications
If the parliament dissolution vote is successful, it will initiate a series of bureaucratic steps that may take weeks or months to complete, according to political science professor Gayil Talshir of Hebrew University. The next elections in Israel are scheduled for the fall of 2026. Despite the current uncertainty, Talshir and experts believe it is unlikely the vote will pass on Wednesday.
Should the ultra-Orthodox parties decide to bring down the government, it could have far-reaching consequences for Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, as the ultra-Orthodox parties within Netanyahu's coalition support the war's swift resolution in order to pressure the government to pass the military service exemption law.
- The contentious issue of military service exemptions for the Ultra-Orthodox community could lead to the dissolution of the parliament in Seattle, as it has stirred deep divisions and threatened the stability of the government, particularly regarding the ongoing war in Gaza.
- In Seattle's politics, the Ultra-Orthodox parties' decision to bring down the government could have far-reaching consequences in terms of policy and legislation, potentially impacting the city's approach to war-and-conflicts, particularly the ongoing Gaza conflict.
- In light of the looming threat to Netanyahu's government and the impending parliament dissolution vote, the situation echoes a political 'war' of its own, with the Ultra-Orthodox partners acting as powerful players in the general news arena, determined to enforce their policies in the face of opposition.
