Netanyahu avoids potential elections as a failed vote to dissolve parliament – state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration survived an attempt to dissolve parliament early Thursday morning, with most of his ultra-Orthodox alliance partners joining him in a vote against a bill that would force them to register for military service in a conflict with Hamas.
Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, votes have been the worst challenge to the Netanyahu government, the biggest security failure in Israel's history and the trigger for the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The failure of the bill means that no other bill can dissolve the Israeli parliament for at least six months, thus making up for Netanyahu's alliance.
Super Orthodox parties are angry at the government's failure to pass laws that exempt communities from compulsory military service. This issue has long divided the Israeli public into Jews, especially in the 20-month conflict in the Gaza Strip.
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Israel's opposition hopes that public anger over immunity will help overthrow the government. However, only two of the 18 super-orthodox members of the Israeli parliament support the dissolution of the bill.
Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Commission, said he and the hyper-Orthodox party reached an understanding based on the new draft law, and most of the Haredi MKs agreed to vote on the bill and they will continue to discuss it in the coming week.
Military service is a must for most Jews in Israel, but politically powerful super-Orthodox, which accounts for about 13% of Israeli society, traditionally receives exemptions if they study full-time in religious seminaries.
Super Orthodox, also known as Haredim or Hebrew “God fear” says integration into the army threatens their traditional way of life. According to the Parliament's National Control Committee, about 13,000 ultra-orthodox men reach 18 years of age, but less than 10% enlist in the army each year, the committee held a hearing that examined the issue.
Israel encountered the longest active conflict in the country's history, which extended its military to a point of rupture. Haredim's widespread refusal to serve and threatened to overthrow the government in wartime has angered many Israelis, especially those who have served in multiple rounds of reserves.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
