Latest news with #UnitedTorahJudaism
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Golan surges in polls, Bennett leads opposition; Likud weakens
Yair Golan's Democrats are gaining momentum as Naftali Bennett tops the latest poll. Likud loses ground, and Netanyahu's bloc remains far from a majority. A new survey published Friday by Maariv shows that Likud's support declines in scenarios where Bennett runs, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc continues to fall short of a parliamentary majority. Yair Golan's Democrats are gaining momentum in the polls, regardless of whether former prime minister Naftali Bennett enters the political race. The poll, conducted by the Lazar Research Institute, indicates that Golan's party is recovering from a dip the previous week. The Democrats are projected to win nine seats if Bennett forms a new party, or 13 seats if he does not—up from 12 in the previous poll. In a scenario in which Bennett leads a new political list, he would receive 28 seats, maintaining his previous standing. In that case, Likud would drop to 19 seats, while Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beytenu would each fall to 10. Otzma Yehudit and United Torah Judaism would remain unchanged at eight seats each. Under this configuration, the Netanyahu-led coalition would hold 44 seats, and the opposition—Bennett included—would command 66. The Arab parties, Ra'am and Hadash-Ta'al, would receive a combined 10 seats. If Bennett does not run, Likud would rise to 23 seats, National Unity would receive 16, and Yesh Atid would fall to 14. The Democrats would increase to 13, while Shas and Otzma Yehudit would remain at nine. United Torah Judaism would gain one seat, reaching eight. In this scenario, the coalition would hold 49 seats, while the opposition—excluding Arab parties—would rise to 61. The poll also asked respondents about the appointment of Maj.-Gen. David Zini as head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). The question centers on a legal dispute: Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has argued that Netanyahu is barred from making senior law enforcement appointments due to a conflict of interest. According to the poll, 42% of Israelis support the attorney-general's position, while 40% side with Netanyahu. Another 18% said they did not know. 86% of coalition supporters back Netanyahu 72% of opposition supporters back the attorney-general Among Arab party voters: 66% support the attorney-general, 8% support Netanyahu, and 26% are undecided The poll was conducted May 28–29, 2025, based on a representative sample of 500 Israeli adults. The margin of error is ±4.4%.
Arab News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Netanyahu coalition jeopardized over ultra-Orthodox exemption from army
The government must pass the budget by the end of the month or call snap electionsUnited Torah Judaism holds seven seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliamentBNEI BRAK, Israel: One of Israel's most divisive domestic issues has reared itself again to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a group in the ruling coalition said it would bring the government down unless it exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from army members of United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in the coalition, said in a letter that they would vote against the budget if the government did not pass a new law formalising exemptions for religious students.'If this matter is once again sidelined or delayed for any reason, we will not be able to continue as partners in the coalition,' said the March 6 letter signed by Housing Minister and party chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf and two government must pass the budget by the end of the month or call snap elections. United Torah Judaism holds seven seats in the Knesset, Israel's is too early to predict the consequences. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is a proven master at smoothing over disagreements in his coalitions. An ultra-nationalist group that quit the government over the ceasefire in Gaza in January announced on Tuesday it was pollster Mitchell Barak, who worked for Netanyahu in the 1990s, said this time ultra-Orthodox politicians appeared unwilling to compromise, and the prime minister might have to look outside the coalition for support to pass the budget, an extraordinary step.'He's going to look for someone who can compromise, save him, and be that 'freyer',' he said, speaking before the ultra-nationalists announced their return to the coalition and using a Yiddish word for someone who lets others take advantage of him. 'That's how he operates.'The prime minister's office declined to comment on the ultra-Orthodox ultimatum and whether he believed the budget could pass without their STRAINEDIn Israel, military service is mandatory at age 18, after which Israelis become reservists liable to be called up for training or dating back to Israel's founding in 1948 it made an exemption for ultra-Orthodox communities, known as Haredim, whose young men mainly dedicate their lives to studying religious texts in academies known as communities were initially small but have grown rapidly in the following decades. According to government data, there are now 1.4 million Haredim, accounting for about 14 percent of the population, deepening resentment among other Israelis who are 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the exemption was unconstitutional, and last year it ordered the military to conscript yeshiva students. Legal experts say the only way to restore the exemption would be to pass a new law enshrining of the Haredi community say they would resist any attempt to conscript their children.'They can put us in prison,' said Yehoshua Menuchin at his home in Bnei Brak, a densely populated city close to Tel Aviv where many Haredim who has a 19-year-old son who is not serving, said the debate was driven by politics, rather than by genuine military need.'If it's a matter of survival, like an Arab invasion, then the Haredim will be the first to volunteer in order to save lives. But as long as it is political, it won't ever happen.'But 18 months into war in Gaza and major military operations in the West Bank and Lebanon, resentment is growing, and many lawmakers say the exemption is unjustifiable.'They don't know what 30 days of reserve duty a year is, and they don't know what it is to dread that knock on the door,' centrist opposition lawmaker Elazar Stern, a former general, told Reuters, referring to the moment a parent learns of a child's death in INTERVENTIONThe Haredim live in insular neighborhoods centered around strict religious observance, with their own schools that largely eschew math and science. They have twice as many children as the national average, rely heavily on state welfare and charity, and those who work are often in low-paying believe that sending their children to the military is an existential threat, fearing that exposure to secular Israelis and outside influences could undermine their way of life.'I know one thing: we must go the way the Torah instructs us,' said Meir Zvi Bergman, one of Israel's most widely followed Haredi rabbis. 'God does not want us to go, so we won't go.'The army says it is working to create conditions to make it easier for more Haredim to serve, such as dedicated battalions with strict religious practices, including regular prayer and gender segregation.'The responsibility to defend the country must be shared fairly,' Eyal Zamir, Israel's new chief of the military staff, said in a speech this month taking up his post. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and Steven Scheer)One of Israel's most divisive domestic issues has reared itself again to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a group in the ruling coalition said it would bring the government down unless it exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from army service. (Reuters/File)
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Netanyahu coalition jeopardised over ultra-Orthodox exemption from army
By Alexander Cornwell BNEI BRAK, Israel (Reuters) - One of Israel's most divisive domestic issues has reared itself again to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a group in the ruling coalition said it would bring the government down unless it exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from army service. Some members of United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in the coalition, said in a letter that they would vote against the budget if the government did not pass a new law formalising exemptions for religious students. "If this matter is once again sidelined or delayed for any reason, we will not be able to continue as partners in the coalition," said the March 6 letter signed by Housing Minister and party chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf and two others. The government must pass the budget by the end of the month or call snap elections. United Torah Judaism holds seven seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. It is too early to predict the consequences. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is a proven master at smoothing over disagreements in his coalitions. An ultra-nationalist group that quit the government over the ceasefire in Gaza in January announced on Tuesday it was returning. But pollster Mitchell Barak, who worked for Netanyahu in the 1990s, said this time ultra-Orthodox politicians appeared unwilling to compromise, and the prime minister might have to look outside the coalition for support to pass the budget, an extraordinary step. "He's going to look for someone who can compromise, save him, and be that 'freyer'," he said, speaking before the ultra-nationalists announced their return to the coalition and using a Yiddish word for someone who lets others take advantage of him. "That's how he operates." The prime minister's office declined to comment on the ultra-Orthodox ultimatum and whether he believed the budget could pass without their support. MILITARY STRAINED In Israel, military service is mandatory at age 18, after which Israelis become reservists liable to be called up for training or deployment. But dating back to Israel's founding in 1948 it made an exemption for ultra-Orthodox communities, known as Haredim, whose young men mainly dedicate their lives to studying religious texts in academies known as yeshivot. Those communities were initially small but have grown rapidly in the following decades. According to government data, there are now 1.4 million Haredim, accounting for about 14% of the population, deepening resentment among other Israelis who are conscripted. In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the exemption was unconstitutional, and last year it ordered the military to conscript yeshiva students. Legal experts say the only way to restore the exemption would be to pass a new law enshrining it. Members of the Haredi community say they would resist any attempt to conscript their children. "They can put us in prison," said Yehoshua Menuchin at his home in Bnei Brak, a densely populated city close to Tel Aviv where many Haredim live. Menuchin, who has a 19-year-old son who is not serving, said the debate was driven by politics, rather than by genuine military need. "If it's a matter of survival, like an Arab invasion, then the Haredim will be the first to volunteer in order to save lives. But as long as it is political, it won't ever happen." But 18 months into war in Gaza and major military operations in the West Bank and Lebanon, resentment is growing, and many lawmakers say the exemption is unjustifiable. "They don't know what 30 days of reserve duty a year is, and they don't know what it is to dread that knock on the door," centrist opposition lawmaker Elazar Stern, a former general, told Reuters, referring to the moment a parent learns of a child's death in service. DIVINE INTERVENTION The Haredim live in insular neighbourhoods centred around strict religious observance, with their own schools that largely eschew math and science. They have twice as many children as the national average, rely heavily on state welfare and charity, and those who work are often in low-paying jobs. They believe that sending their children to the military is an existential threat, fearing that exposure to secular Israelis and outside influences could undermine their way of life. "I know one thing: we must go the way the Torah instructs us," said Meir Zvi Bergman, one of Israel's most widely followed Haredi rabbis. "God does not want us to go, so we won't go." The army says it is working to create conditions to make it easier for more Haredim to serve, such as dedicated battalions with strict religious practices, including regular prayer and gender segregation. "The responsibility to defend the country must be shared fairly," Eyal Zamir, Israel's new chief of the military staff, said in a speech this month taking up his post.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Netanyahu coalition jeopardised over ultra-Orthodox exemption from army
By Alexander Cornwell BNEI BRAK, Israel (Reuters) - One of Israel's most divisive domestic issues has reared itself again to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a group in the ruling coalition said it would bring the government down unless it exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from army service. Some members of United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in the coalition, said in a letter that they would vote against the budget if the government did not pass a new law formalising exemptions for religious students. "If this matter is once again sidelined or delayed for any reason, we will not be able to continue as partners in the coalition," said the March 6 letter signed by Housing Minister and party chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf and two others. The government must pass the budget by the end of the month or call snap elections. United Torah Judaism holds seven seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. It is too early to predict the consequences. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is a proven master at smoothing over disagreements in his coalitions. An ultra-nationalist group that quit the government over the ceasefire in Gaza in January announced on Tuesday it was returning. But pollster Mitchell Barak, who worked for Netanyahu in the 1990s, said this time ultra-Orthodox politicians appeared unwilling to compromise, and the prime minister might have to look outside the coalition for support to pass the budget, an extraordinary step. "He's going to look for someone who can compromise, save him, and be that 'freyer'," he said, speaking before the ultra-nationalists announced their return to the coalition and using a Yiddish word for someone who lets others take advantage of him. "That's how he operates." The prime minister's office declined to comment on the ultra-Orthodox ultimatum and whether he believed the budget could pass without their support. MILITARY STRAINED In Israel, military service is mandatory at age 18, after which Israelis become reservists liable to be called up for training or deployment. But dating back to Israel's founding in 1948 it made an exemption for ultra-Orthodox communities, known as Haredim, whose young men mainly dedicate their lives to studying religious texts in academies known as yeshivot. Those communities were initially small but have grown rapidly in the following decades. According to government data, there are now 1.4 million Haredim, accounting for about 14% of the population, deepening resentment among other Israelis who are conscripted. In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the exemption was unconstitutional, and last year it ordered the military to conscript yeshiva students. Legal experts say the only way to restore the exemption would be to pass a new law enshrining it. Members of the Haredi community say they would resist any attempt to conscript their children. "They can put us in prison," said Yehoshua Menuchin at his home in Bnei Brak, a densely populated city close to Tel Aviv where many Haredim live. Menuchin, who has a 19-year-old son who is not serving, said the debate was driven by politics, rather than by genuine military need. "If it's a matter of survival, like an Arab invasion, then the Haredim will be the first to volunteer in order to save lives. But as long as it is political, it won't ever happen." But 18 months into war in Gaza and major military operations in the West Bank and Lebanon, resentment is growing, and many lawmakers say the exemption is unjustifiable. "They don't know what 30 days of reserve duty a year is, and they don't know what it is to dread that knock on the door," centrist opposition lawmaker Elazar Stern, a former general, told Reuters, referring to the moment a parent learns of a child's death in service. DIVINE INTERVENTION The Haredim live in insular neighbourhoods centred around strict religious observance, with their own schools that largely eschew math and science. They have twice as many children as the national average, rely heavily on state welfare and charity, and those who work are often in low-paying jobs. They believe that sending their children to the military is an existential threat, fearing that exposure to secular Israelis and outside influences could undermine their way of life. "I know one thing: we must go the way the Torah instructs us," said Meir Zvi Bergman, one of Israel's most widely followed Haredi rabbis. "God does not want us to go, so we won't go." The army says it is working to create conditions to make it easier for more Haredim to serve, such as dedicated battalions with strict religious practices, including regular prayer and gender segregation. "The responsibility to defend the country must be shared fairly," Eyal Zamir, Israel's new chief of the military staff, said in a speech this month taking up his post.
Reuters
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Netanyahu coalition jeopardised over ultra-Orthodox exemption from army
Summary Ultra-Orthodox politicians threaten to oppose budget over military conscription Government holds slim majority, must pass budget soon or hold elections Ultra-Orthodox have strong electoral base, influential in politics Decades-old exemption a source of resentment within Israeli society BNEI BRAK, Israel, March 18 (Reuters) - One of Israel's most divisive domestic issues has reared itself again to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a group in the ruling coalition said it would bring the government down unless it exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from army service. Some members of United Torah Judaism, one of two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in the coalition, said in a letter that they would vote against the budget if the government did not pass a new law formalising exemptions for religious students. "If this matter is once again sidelined or delayed for any reason, we will not be able to continue as partners in the coalition," said the March 6 letter signed by Housing Minister and party chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf and two others. The government must pass the budget by the end of the month or call snap elections. United Torah Judaism holds seven seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. It is too early to predict the consequences. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is a proven master at smoothing over disagreements in his coalitions. An ultra-nationalist group that quit the government over the ceasefire in Gaza in January announced on Tuesday it was returning. But pollster Mitchell Barak, who worked for Netanyahu in the 1990s, said this time ultra-Orthodox politicians appeared unwilling to compromise, and the prime minister might have to look outside the coalition for support to pass the budget, an extraordinary step. "He's going to look for someone who can compromise, save him, and be that 'freyer'," he said, speaking before the ultra-nationalists announced their return to the coalition and using a Yiddish word for someone who lets others take advantage of him. "That's how he operates." The prime minister's office declined to comment on the ultra-Orthodox ultimatum and whether he believed the budget could pass without their support. MILITARY STRAINED In Israel, military service is mandatory at age 18, after which Israelis become reservists liable to be called up for training or deployment. But dating back to Israel's founding in 1948 it made an exemption for ultra-Orthodox communities, known as Haredim, whose young men mainly dedicate their lives to studying religious texts in academies known as yeshivot. Those communities were initially small but have grown rapidly in the following decades. According to government data, there are now 1.4 million Haredim, accounting for about 14% of the population, deepening resentment among other Israelis who are conscripted. In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the exemption was unconstitutional, and last year it ordered the military to conscript yeshiva students. Legal experts say the only way to restore the exemption would be to pass a new law enshrining it. Members of the Haredi community say they would resist any attempt to conscript their children. "They can put us in prison," said Yehoshua Menuchin at his home in Bnei Brak, a densely populated city close to Tel Aviv where many Haredim live. Menuchin, who has a 19-year-old son who is not serving, said the debate was driven by politics, rather than by genuine military need. "If it's a matter of survival, like an Arab invasion, then the Haredim will be the first to volunteer in order to save lives. But as long as it is political, it won't ever happen." But 18 months into war in Gaza and major military operations in the West Bank and Lebanon, resentment is growing, and many lawmakers say the exemption is unjustifiable. "They don't know what 30 days of reserve duty a year is, and they don't know what it is to dread that knock on the door," centrist opposition lawmaker Elazar Stern, a former general, told Reuters, referring to the moment a parent learns of a child's death in service. DIVINE INTERVENTION The Haredim live in insular neighbourhoods centred around strict religious observance, with their own schools that largely eschew math and science. They have twice as many children as the national average, rely heavily on state welfare and charity, and those who work are often in low-paying jobs. They believe that sending their children to the military is an existential threat, fearing that exposure to secular Israelis and outside influences could undermine their way of life. "I know one thing: we must go the way the Torah instructs us," said Meir Zvi Bergman, one of Israel's most widely followed Haredi rabbis. "God does not want us to go, so we won't go." The army says it is working to create conditions to make it easier for more Haredim to serve, such as dedicated battalions with strict religious practices, including regular prayer and gender segregation. "The responsibility to defend the country must be shared fairly," Eyal Zamir, Israel's new chief of the military staff, said in a speech this month taking up his post.
