Major blow to Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, another key ultra-orthodox party withdraws support, government reduced to...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suffered a big setback in his own country's politics. On Wednesday, one of the main parties in his ruling coalition decided to pull out. Because of this, Netanyahu no longer has a majority in the parliament. Losing this majority has put his government in trouble. However, the leader of the party that left, called Shas, has not clearly said that they want to bring down the government.
The Shas party, which is known for being very religious and conservative, announced that it is leaving the government because of disagreements over a new law. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party said that it was leaving the cabinet in protest against lawmakers' failure to guarantee future exemption from military conscription for religious students.
'In this current situation, it's impossible to sit in the government and to be a partner in it,' Shas Cabinet minister Michael Malkieli said in announcing the party's decision.
The law is about giving wide exemptions from military service. Earlier this week, another similar ultra-religious party also withdrew support from the government over the same issue.
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For that reason, it has long wanted to curtail the group's influence just across its border. top videos View all Israel's latest military foray in Syria could give leaders in Damascus an incentive to draw closer to Ankara, according to Clarke. That could include pursuing a defence pact with Turkey that has been discussed but not implemented. Turkish defence ministry officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to procedures, said that if requested, Ankara is ready to assist Syria in strengthening its defence capabilities. (AP) NPK NPK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 18:45 IST News agency-feeds What violence in Syria means for domestic, regional politics Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. 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