Early election avoided as ultra-Orthodox parties back down on draft bill
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition narrowly avoided collapse on Wednesday, fending off an opposition-led motion to dissolve the Knesset amid deep divisions over a controversial military conscription bill.
The motion, which could have triggered early elections that polls indicate Netanyahu’s bloc would likely lose, was defeated by a vote of 61 to 53. With 120 seats in the Israeli parliament, 61 votes were required to pass the measure.
The result grants Netanyahu’s government a reprieve, buying more time to resolve the ongoing political crisis without heading into what would have been the first national election since the start of the war in Gaza.
At the heart of the standoff is a proposed military draft law that has fractured Netanyahu’s coalition. Ultra-Orthodox parties have been demanding continued exemptions for yeshiva (seminary) students, while other members of the coalition insist on ending such exemptions altogether.
Yuli Edelstein, chair of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, said in a statement: “I’m pleased to announce that after lengthy talks, we have agreed on the key principles that will form the basis of the new draft legislation.”
Mandatory military service is a longstanding requirement in Israel, but exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox men have sparked controversy for years. The issue has taken on new urgency during the war in Gaza, with the Israeli army experiencing its highest casualty toll in decades and a growing need for additional troops.
Amid rising frustration over the impasse, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers had threatened to side with the opposition and support dissolving the parliament—potentially triggering snap elections before the scheduled vote in 2026.
Labour Party lawmaker Merav Michaeli, speaking for the opposition, said: “It’s more urgent than ever to replace Netanyahu’s government—this toxic and damaging coalition. We need to end the war in Gaza, bring all the hostages home, and begin rebuilding and healing the State of Israel.”
