Latest news with #UltraOrthodox
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu's coalition threaten to vote for Bill calling for early elections
Ultra-Orthodox parties in prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition are threatening to vote with the opposition next week in favour of a Bill calling for early elections. Elections must be held by October 2026. According to polls, Mr Netanyahu's right-wing and religious coalition is set to lose its majority. The Bill to be voted on in a preliminary vote next week would likely mean the election would be brought forward to later this year or early next year. The 20-month Gaza war , the longest in Israel's history, has caused a serious rift in Mr Netanyahu's coalition. Many of the voters of the right-wing parties have already served hundreds of days of army reserve duty, causing a huge strain on families and businesses. READ MORE The ultra-Orthodox parties, in contrast, serve a constituency that, with a few exceptions, does not serve in the army. Calls for a more equitable sharing of the burden have been rebuffed by ultra-Orthodox leaders, who fear that military service will be the first step towards the adoption of a more secular lifestyle. The fast-growing ultra-Orthodox community, which already makes up about 14 per cent of Israel's population, is angry that the government has failed to pass legislation enshrining in law an exemption from military service for yeshiva religious seminary students. [ International aid ship en route to Gaza will be stopped, warns Israeli military Opens in new window ] Israel's high court ruled a year ago that the draft exemption for the ultra-Orthodox community is illegal as it discriminates against other Israelis, who serve three years in the army from the age of 18. However, the overwhelming majority of ultra-Orthodox Jews, known in Hebrew as Haredim, or God-fearing, have simply ignored their draft orders – so far with impunity. Mr Netanyahu promised the ultra-Orthodox parties months ago that legislation would be passed enabling the community to continue avoiding military service, but he failed to deliver on that promise, partly due to fierce opposition from his own political base. Legislation being drawn up by Yuli Edelstein, the head of the Knesset parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee, and a member of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, calls for sweeping economic sanctions against those who avoid the draft and would also prevent offenders from receiving a driving licence or travelling abroad. In an effort to exert pressure on Mr Netanyahu, the ultra-Orthodox parties have, for the last month, refused to support coalition private members' Bills, effectively paralysing the work of the Knesset. The prospect of early elections is highly problematic for Mr Netanyahu. 'It looks like the beginning of the end,' a source involved in one ultra-Orthodox party said. 'The question is just how much time this end will take.' However, ultra-Orthodox parties will have to take into account the fact that early elections could also send them into opposition.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
What Might Happen in Israel's Parliamentary Dissolution Vote?
Opposition party Yesh Atid has submitted a vote to dissolve the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, for June 11, amid rising tensions in the ruling right-wing coalition. Here are some key facts about the Knesset, the procedure for a dissolution vote, which would lead to an election, and possible scenarios. KNESSET COMPOSITION Total seats: 120 Simple majority needed to pass the vote: 61 Current government majority: 8 seats LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE The Yesh Atid motion faces four votes with an absolute majority of the Knesset required in the final stretch to become law, thereby bringing a premature end to the legislature and triggering an election, which must be held within five months of the motion passing. In practice, if the initial vote passes, the subsequent stages could occur all the same day or take months. OPPOSITION STRATEGY A bill to dissolve parliament will only be brought to a vote if Yesh Atid is confident of securing a majority. If not, it can withdraw the motion anytime before June 11, preventing a vote. ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS Ultra-Orthodox coalition parties could decide to leave the government to protest at its failure to put forward a law granting exemption from military service to ultra-Orthodox men. At the same time, they might refuse to vote for dissolution of parliament, allowing a minority government to continue. COALITION NUMBERS The coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a majority of around 68 seats in parliament, though its size has fluctuated due to internal political shifts. The two coalition ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, hold 18 seats collectively. If they united with the opposition, they would have enough votes to dissolve parliament and trigger early elections a year ahead of schedule.
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
Israeli Ultra-Orthodox party reportedly planning to quit Netanyahu coalition
Ultra-Orthodox leaders in Israel have reportedly ordered politicians in the United Torah Judaism party, which sits in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's far-right coalition, to withdraw from government over lack of progress on passing legislation to exempt young men from the community from military service. Reports of the UTJ's imminent withdrawal have sparked opposition plans to put forward a bill to dissolve parliament, giving Mr Netanyahu about a week to find a solution to save his coalition. If he fails, it opens up the possibility that Israel has to hold early elections. The issue of whether Ultra-Orthodox youths should perform military service, which is mandatory for all other Jewish Israelis, has proven to be one of the most insurmountable in Israeli politics in recent years. The Ultra-Orthodox community have grown increasingly frustrated in recent weeks over delays in passing an exemption law. The wider dispute intensified during the Gaza War. Israel's military says it is facing a manpower shortage and many Israelis feel their children take on an unfair burden while the Ultra-Orthodox stay away from military service to dedicate themselves to religious study. The community also receives significant subsidies to continue their secluded way of life, which many Israelis also criticise as an unfair financial burden that encourages the community not to integrate. The UTJ's reported plans to withdraw come after a meeting to find a solution between the party's senior officials and Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, ended in failure. Mr Edelstein, a member of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, previously vowed to find a solution that 'significantly increases [the military's] conscription base,' echoing frustration by many in the ultranationalist, hawkish coalition at the Ultra-Orthodox's refusal to serve. The UTJ party holds seven of the ruling coalition's 68 seats, meaning that their departure would not end the government's majority in the 120-seat Knesset. However, a second Ultra-Orthodox party, Shas, is also demanding the passage of a bill to exempt their young men from service. Shas, which has 11 seats, have not yet commented on their stance towards the current impasse, but it is considered likely to follow UTJ's suit, which would deprive Mr Netanyahu of his majority.
