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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his coalition experienced their greatest political challenge since October 7, as a proposal to dissolve the parliament and initiate early elections did not succeed.
This is more than a momentary victory: under Israeli law, the bill’s failure means that no other proposal to dissolve the Knesset (parliament) can be introduced for six months, buying Netanyahu and his coalition some time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
While Israel requires citizens to enlist in the military at age 18, several groups are exempt—including the ultra-Orthodox community, also known as Haredim—which makes up roughly 13% of Israeli society, according to the Associated Press.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have Haredi units, which allow soldiers to follow religious traditions more strictly than other parts of the army. However, many Haredim choose to study Torah instead.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men clash with police officers as they block a main highway during a demonstration against drafting to the Israeli army on June 5, 2025, in Bnei Brak, Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the government “spat in the faces” of Israeli soldiers and “sold out our troops” with the compromise, the Times of Israel reported. The outlet added that Edelstein stated that the only way to get an “effective bill like this leading to an expansion of the IDF’s conscription base” would be through his committee.
The issue of religious exemption has been a debate among Israelis for decades, but it has become especially heated since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.
Israel is currently fighting the longest war in its history as the country marks 20 months of its ground operation in Gaza. Israelis from all walks of life have been called up to the reserves throughout the war, fueling frustration with the Haredi community’s exemption.
