"Israel's" internal political turmoil deepened on Wednesday after the ultra-Orthodox Shas party formally endorsed dissolving the Knesset. The move is a protest against the government's failure to advance legislation that would codify military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students. Shas party leader Aryeh Deri declared, "There is no choice left. We don't like it, but we need to support the dissolution of the Knesset."

The announcement has placed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition in jeopardy. With Shas holding 11 seats, its withdrawal would drop the coalition below the 61-seat majority in the 120-member Knesset, effectively collapsing the government. United Torah Judaism (UTJ), another ultra-Orthodox party with seven seats, has also expressed support for dissolution but lacks sufficient numbers to act independently.

The crisis was set in motion by a March 2024 Israeli Supreme Court ruling that found long-standing Haredi draft exemptions unconstitutional. The decision intensified divisions between secular and religious political factions and forced Netanyahu into a no-win scenario. While the Haredim demand immediate legislative protections, any such move faces legal and public opposition.

Amid stalled negotiations, Shas convened an emergency meeting of its Knesset members, while opposition parties, including Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beiteinu, and the Democrats, capitalized on the moment to submit a motion to dissolve parliament. Opposition leader Yair Lapid asserted, "This Knesset is finished. It has nowhere left to go. All it has brought to the State of Israel is pain, tragedy, bereavement, and crisis." A preliminary vote on the motion is expected on June 11 and requires only a simple majority to proceed.

Fractures within the coalition

The conflict has also exposed deep internal divisions within Netanyahu's own Likud party. Ultra-Orthodox leaders are demanding that Netanyahu fire Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, for his hardline stance against Haredi draft evasion. Edelstein has rejected compromise proposals, including an 18-month shortened military service, and called for punitive measures against draft dodgers. "It's the head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee who's bringing down the government, not the Haredim," a senior Haredi official told Channel 12.

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Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has reportedly offered to resign in order to replace Edelstein and push the exemption bill through. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also warned of dire consequences, "The governmental crisis is dangerous, and we are close to early elections, which could lead to the stop or loss of war."

Rabbis issue final warning

The crisis intensified after two of the most influential Ashkenazi Haredi rabbis, Dov Landau and Moshe Hillel Hirsch, refused to meet with Netanyahu. "There is no point in further discussions," they said, signaling a complete breakdown in negotiations just hours after the deadline set by Haredi factions for passing the exemption law had expired. According to "Israel's" public broadcaster Kan, the rabbis consider the situation to have reached an irreparable peak.

Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael, the two factions of UTJ, have reportedly received explicit instructions from their spiritual leadership to withdraw from the coalition. Degel's Rabbi Moshe Hirsch issued a statement noting that "there is no progress at all on the draft issue," and that party chairman Moshe Gafni should begin efforts to dissolve the Knesset.

Meanwhile, Agudat Yisrael is said to be drafting its own legislation to trigger early elections, while its senior figure, Moshe Babchik, has reportedly met with opposition leader Benny Gantz to explore avenues for coordinated action.

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Coalition on the brink

Netanyahu's coalition, currently at 68 seats, faces a real possibility of collapse if Shas and UTJ follow through. The government had until the end of the Shavuot holiday to pass the draft exemption bill, a deadline that passed without resolution. Despite the risks of early elections and growing international scrutiny over domestic instability, Haredi parties appear willing to bring down the government to protect what they call the red line: shielding the "Torah community" from forced conscription.

The coming days will determine whether Netanyahu can survive the rebellion from within or whether he faces an early and potentially devastating return to the polls.