Israeli politicians have voted unanimously to dissolve the Knesset, which could lead to early elections, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition continues to fracture over legislation to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service.
The dissolution bill now needs to go through a committee and then three more readings. This could be concluded within days, although Israel’s fractious politics often features last-minute attempts and deal-making to derail such processes.
It is unclear when an election would take place if the bill is successful. The current deadline for elections is October 27 of this year.
Left-wing politician Yair Golan hailed the result and said subsequent elections would “send him the government of failure that brought upon us the heaviest disaster in the state’s history”, in reference to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
Before the vote, politician Yuli Edelstein of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party said he thought the issue of ultra-Orthodox exemption was “a discussion that could bury right-wing rule in the state of Israel”.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is widely believed to play a vital role in the coming elections, criticised the “desperate attempt” by members of the coalition to pass what he called the “despicable” law.
The bill comes after ultra-Orthodox leaders in the ruling coalition called for the dissolution of the Knesset last week in frustration over the lack of progress in passing a law to exempt young men in their community from military service, which is mandatory for much of Israeli society. Passing such laws for the ultra-Orthodox parties was a key condition for them joining Mr Netanyahu’s coalition.
The parties have refused to vote in line with the coalition since last week and have been reducing their support in voting since last summer.
Exemption for the community is deeply controversial in Israel, with critics saying it is unfair on Israelis who are forced to serve and entrenches the isolated community’s exclusion from mainstream life. Anger at the community’s absence from the military has grown since the Gaza war, during which Israel has vastly increased its military action in the region, placing a significant burden on current conscripts and reservists.
There is also opposition to blanket exemptions from within the coalition itself, with many of its ultranationalist members saying their communities take on an unfair burden. The government has a draft law – viewed widely as unsatisfactory to those who support ultra-Orthodox participation – which has been stalling in parliamentary committees over recent months.
In June 2024, Israel’s High Court ruled there was no legal basis for the de facto exemptions that the community enjoyed since the founding of the state of Israel. There are an estimated 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men currently in the 18-24 age range that makes them eligible for military service.
Israel’s military earlier told politicians during a parliamentary committee that the personnel shortage affecting the country will climb over the rest of the year, rising from the current 12,000 shortfall to 17,000.
