Israel ultra-Orthodox party threatens government over draft law
JERUSALEM: Israel's ultra-Orthodox Shas party on Monday threatened to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government by backing a motion for early elections amid a row over military service.
Netanyahu's coalition, one of the most right-wing in Israel's history, is at risk of collapsing over a bill that could reverse the long-standing exemption from the draft for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The exemption is facing growing pushback as Israel wages war on Palestinian Islamist militants Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu is under pressure from within his Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on draft dodgers -- a red line for Shas.
The party is demanding legislation to permanently exempt its followers from military service and gave Netanyahu two days to find a solution.
'We don't want to bring down a right-wing government, but we've reached our limit,' Shas spokesperson Asher Medina told public radio.
'If there's no last-minute solution (on conscription), we'll vote to dissolve the Knesset,' he said, referring to the Israeli parliament.
Last week, a Shas source told AFP the party was threatening to quit the coalition unless a solution was reached by Monday.
The opposition is seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalise on the ultra-Orthodox revolt to topple the government.
Netanyahu's coalition, formed in December 2022, includes Likud, far-right factions and ultra-Orthodox parties. A walkout by the latter would end its majority.
A poll published in March by right-wing daily Israel Hayom found 85 percent of Israeli Jews support changing the conscription law for Haredim.
Forty-one percent backed compulsory military service -- currently 32 months for men -- for all eligible members of the community.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
War in Gaza 'hurts my whole body', says Man City boss Guardiola
LONDON: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the war in Gaza "hurts my whole body" as he delivered an emotional speech while being honoured by the University of Manchester. Guardiola, 54, was speaking as he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester on Monday. "It's so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts my whole body," Guardiola said in excerpts of his speech shared on social media. "Let me be clear, it's not about ideology. It's not about whether I'm right, or you're wrong. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour." Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza after the attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Gaza says at least 54,981 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. "Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it's not a hospital anymore, it's not our business," Guardiola. "Yes, fine, we can think about that, it's not our business. But be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four or five-year-old kids will be ours. "Sorry, but I see my kids, Maria, Marius and Valentina when I see every morning, since the nightmare started, the infants in Gaza, and I'm so scared." Guardiola has not shied away from voicing political views in the past, throwing his weight behind the campaign for Catalan independence. He was awarded the honorary degree by the University of Manchester for his unprecedented success at City, where he has won six Premier League titles, as well as his work through his family foundation, the Guardiola Sala Foundation. The organisation takes part in "established projects which strive to support the most disadvantaged." Others within football have spoken out on Gaza. In October 2023, Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah called on "world leaders to come together to "prevent further slaughter of innocent souls." The following month Bundesliga club Mainz sacked Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi, now at Cardiff, over social media posts related to the conflict.
Focus Malaysia
3 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Anti-Israeli protestors disrupt diners in Korean restaurant: Legit action or just plain nuisance?
JUST where does one draw the line? Showing solidarity with Palestine in the on-going Israel-Hamas conflict can take many forms – peaceful protests, social media campaigns and of course, boycotts. But can protestors single out individuals and their family members as targets of their ire? This is apparently the case as highlighted by a post by journalist Sulaiman Ahmad (@ShaykhSulaiman) showing a video of a group of anti-Israel protestors taking their demonstration inside a restaurant in Seoul. CHINESE PEOPLE DO NOT WELCOME BABY KlLLERS 👏🏻 — Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) June 8, 2025 Note that the mistake in identifying the protestors as 'Chinese' has been rectified by the poster. The incident which took place on April 22 shows a group of protestors targeting the Israeli ambassador to South Korea Rai Harpaz. In the footage, one protester can be seen telling the ambassador, 'Science and technology should not be used as tools of genocide' while another holds a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf near Harpaz's table. Harpaz was dining with three other people. The Israeli embassy later confirmed that Harpaz was joined by family members. The ambassador is seen responding calmly with a 'thank you' while trying to avert his attention by making calls on his phone. The situation was diffused by a man claiming to be a police officer who instructed the protestors to leave as there were other customers in the restaurant and that this was not the proper platform for a demonstration. Don't emulate this in Malaysia However, the protestors claimed the Israeli embassy refused to acknowledge them or have a dialogue. Eventually, the protestors did leave and it was reported that no arrest were made. Is such conduct acceptable? One commenter highlighted the obvious error in ethnicity whilst applauding their actions. Highlighting that 'humanity is universal', the pro-Palestine brigade praised the protestors for their bravery in standing up the 'occupying force'. One netizen went as far as to assert that Israelis were not welcome anywhere. Despite Malaysia's official pro-Palestine stance, it must be underlined that this sort of behaviour cannot be normalised. Why? Imagine a group of Malaysian protestors doing the same to foreign diplomats in Kuala Lumpur by accusing them of being 'complicit' in the atrocities in Gaza. Or harassing those whom they believe have Jewish heritage. Make no mistake for this is a very emotive and sensitive issue but therein lies the need to keep emotions in check. There is no simple solution. Shouting at diplomats and their family in public spaces isn't going to change anything. – June 10, 2025
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Gaza war hurts my whole body, says Guardiola
MANCHESTER City manager Pep Guardiola received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester on Monday and used his acceptance speech to address the war in Gaza. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza. 'It's so painful what we see in Gaza. It hurts my whole body,' Guardiola said. 'It's not about ideology. It's not about whether I'm right, or you're wrong. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour. 'Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it's not a hospital anymore. It's not our business. 'But be careful. The next four- or five-year-old kids will be ours. Sorry, but I see my kids, Maria, Marius and Valentina. When I see every morning since the nightmare started the infants in Gaza, and I'm so scared.' Guardiola was recognised for his contribution to the city, including guiding his team to six Premier League titles in nine years with the club, along with his charitable work through his Guardiola Sala Foundation. The 54-year-old Spaniard was presented with his honorary degree by the University's Chancellor Nazir Afzal at Whitworth Hall.
