Latest news with #ForeignAffairsandDefenseCommittee
Los Angeles Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Netanyahu's government survives vote to dissolve Israel's parliament
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government survived an attempt to dissolve Israel's parliament early Thursday morning, with most of his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners joining him in voting against a bill that would have forced them to register for military service while the country is at war. The vote was the most serious challenge to Netanyahu's government since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which was the biggest security failure in Israel's history and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The bill's failure means that no other piece of legislation to dissolve parliament, called the Knesset, can be submitted for at least six months, shoring up Netanyahu's embattled coalition. The ultra-Orthodox parties are furious that the government has failed to pass a law exempting their community from mandatory military service. The issue has long divided the Jewish Israeli public, especially during the 20-month war in the Gaza Strip. Israel's opposition had hoped that the public anger over the exemptions would help topple the government. But just two of the 18 ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset supported the bill. Most ultra-Orthodox legislators agreed to vote against the bill after Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein said that he and the ultra-Orthodox parties had reached an understanding on the basis of a new draft law, which they will continue discussing over the coming week. Yitzhak Goldknopf, the head of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, resigned in protest as the Minister of Construction and Housing, but will remain a member of the Knesset. Ari Kalman, spokesperson for Goldknopf, said that the minister resigned because he was frustrated with Netanyahu's constant requests for more time to pass a draft exemption law. 'Whatever they haven't been able to do over the past year they won't do in a week,' Kalman said. Military service is mandatory for most Jews in Israel, but the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full time in religious seminaries. The ultra-Orthodox, also known as Haredim, or 'God-fearing' in Hebrew, say that integrating into the army threatens their traditional way of life. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10% enlist, according to parliament's State Control Committee, which held a hearing examining the issue. Israel is engaged in the longest active war in the country's history, which has stretched its military to the breaking point. The Haredim's widespread refusal to serve, and threats to topple the government during wartime, have enraged many Israelis, especially those who have served multiple rounds of reserve duty. Lidman writes for the Associated Press.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Netanyahu survives attempt to dissolve parliament
Advertisement Israel's opposition had hoped that the public anger over the exemptions would help topple the government. But just two of the 18 ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, supported the bill to dissolve. Most Haredi MKs agreed to vote against the bill after Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein said he and the ultra-Orthodox parties had reached an understanding on the basis of a new draft law, which they will continue discussing over the coming week. Military service is mandatory for most Jews in Israel, but the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full-time in religious seminaries. The ultra-Orthodox, also known as Haredim, or 'God-fearing' in Hebrew, say that integrating into the army threatens their traditional way of life. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10% enlist, according to parliament's State Control Committee, which held a hearing examining the issue. Advertisement Israel is engaged in the longest active war in the country's history, which has stretched its military to the breaking point. The Haredim's widespread refusal to serve, and threats to topple the government during wartime, have enraged many Israelis, especially those who have served multiple rounds of reserve duty.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel's Netanyahu survives opposition bid to dissolve parliament
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fractious right-wing coalition has survived an opposition-backed bid to dissolve parliament after ruling lawmakers reached a deal regarding the divisive mandatory military service. The bill, which would have been a first step leading to an early election, was rejected early on Thursday by a majority of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, while 53 supported it. 'I am pleased to announce that after long discussions we have reached agreements on the principles on which the draft law will be based,' Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein said in a statement. The opposition had introduced the conscription bill, hoping to force elections with the help of ultra-Orthodox parties angry at Netanyahu over the contentious issue of forcing religious seminary students of draft age to serve in the army. 'It's more than ever urgent to replace Netanyahu's government and specifically this toxic and harmful government,' Labour's opposition lawmaker Merav Michaeli said ahead of the vote. While the opposition is composed mainly of centrist and left-wing groups, ultra-Orthodox parties, including Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ), which are propping up Netanyahu's government, had earlier threatened to back the motion. Military service is mandatory in Israel but under a ruling that dates to the country's creation – when the ultra-Orthodox were a very small community, men who devote themselves full-time to the study of sacred Jewish texts are given a de facto to scrap the exemption and the resulting blowback have intensified during Israel's continuing assault on Gaza as the military looks for more soldiers to be deployed. Netanyahu is under pressure from his own Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on dodgers, a red line for the Shas party, who demand a law guaranteeing their members permanent exemption from military service. Netanyahu's coalition, formed in December 2022, is one of the most right wing in the country's history. Ahead of the vote, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that bringing down the government during wartime would pose 'an existential danger' to Israel's future. 'History will not forgive anyone who drags the state of Israel into elections during a war,' Smotrich told parliament, adding that there was a 'national and security need' for ultra-Orthodox men to fight in the military. In the early hours of Thursday, Israeli media reported that most ultra-Orthodox lawmakers ultimately agreed not to support the proposal to dissolve parliament. After the failed vote, the opposition will now have to wait six months to submit another bill.
Yomiuri Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Envoys Part of Delegation as Israeli Soldiers Fire ‘Warning Shots'; Iwaya Says Incident Is ‘Regrettable,' Lodges Protest
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in March Japanese diplomats were part of the delegation that Israeli troops fired 'warning shots' when the group was visiting Palestinian refugee camps in Jenin in the West Bank on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya spoke about the incident during a meeting of a House of Councillors' Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. 'It is deeply regrettable,' Iwaya said. 'This should never have happened.' Iwaya also said he lodged a protest with the Israeli government, demanding an explanation as well as measures to prevent a similar incident from occurring again.
22-05-2025
- Politics
Japan Lodges Protests after Israel Fires Shots at Diplomats
News from Japan Politics May 22, 2025 16:04 (JST) Tokyo, May 22 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Thursday that Japan has lodged strong protests to Israel after the Israeli military fired what it claims were warning shots at a group of Japanese and other diplomats visiting the Palestinian territory of the West Bank. Speaking at the day's meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, Iwaya said that the incident was "truly regrettable" and "should never have happened." He said that Toshihide Ando, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, relayed Tokyo's protest to Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen and the Japanese Embassy in Israel lodged a protest to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Israeli troops on Wednesday fired shots at the group of diplomats inspecting a refugee camp in the city of Jenin in the West Bank. The military said that it fired warning shots. According to Iwaya, the Israeli side has told the Japanese side that it was relieved that no one was injured in the incident. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
