Netanyahu faces coalition crisis as ultra-Orthodox parties threaten again to dissolve Knesset

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with two leaders of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties earlier this week in an attempt to postpone elections, as recent polls show support for his Likud party dropping. 

The meeting with Shas party chairman, Aryeh Deri, and Degel HaTorah party chairman, Moshe Gafni, reportedly took place following threats by the two parties to bring down the Netanyahu-led government over failure to advance laws demanded by the Haredi coalition parties. 

Following the meeting, the two leaders issued a joint statement demanding that the coalition “immediately advance” two pieces of legislation sought by the Haredi parties after efforts to pass a draft exemption bill stalled.

Deri and Gafni warned that if the measures are not brought forward before the Knesset's July 16 recess, they will support dissolving the Knesset.

"Today we held a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and conveyed to him… an unequivocal demand to immediately advance the Basic Law on Torah Study and the law to stop the arrests of Torah students – by convening the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee and the Knesset Committee this week," Gafni and Deri said in a joint statement. 

“We made it clear that if we do not see practical actions as we demanded, we will support the dissolution of the Knesset as early as next week,” the statement continued. 

The two parties have grown increasingly frustrated with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who reportedly pledged that the legislation would be passed. However, the bills have yet to be advanced to their second and third Knesset readings, fueling tensions within the coalition.

According to Hebrew media reports, as part of the deal, the Haredi parties would support the passage of a law that would split the role of the attorney general, and a bill to establish a politically appointed commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 Hamas massacres, in place of a state commission of inquiry. It also appears that the Haredi parties would waive demands for two other bills.

However, the two ultra-Orthodox parties denied they had reached an agreement with Netanyahu. 

“There is no ‘deal’ with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the statement read. “Our demand to advance the Basic Law: Torah Study and the law preventing the arrests of Torah students stands on its own, is not dependent on anything, and we have not given up on any demand.”

Netanyahu’s political opponents slammed the reports of a deal to delay the elections, accusing him of “selling out” Israelis. 

“Netanyahu is holding a liquidation sale of the national interests of the State of Israel,” Yashar party chairman and former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said. “Draft-dodging laws and dismantling Israeli society in exchange for a more ‘convenient’ election date, which tries to obscure the great lapse from the people's memory. The people will not forgive you for weakening the IDF in a time of total war.” 

The Democrat party chairman, Yair Golan, said, “Netanyahu is selling Israel for the ultra-Orthodox,” adding, “Our children, our security, our future, everything is being sold off for a few more days in the prime minister's chair. His coalition spits in the face of the working, serving, and burden-bearing public. We will fight every law that harms the State of Israel.” 

“This is not a political deal, this is blood-spilling,” said the October Council, a group of survivors and their family members. “While October 7 has not yet been investigated, while entire families are living a thousand days without answers, while the country owes a state commission of inquiry for the greatest disaster in its history, Netanyahu and the Haredi parties are trading truth for political survival.” 

Blue and White party chairman, Benny Gantz, criticized the reported deal. “In the broad Zionist government that we will form after the elections, no one will hold the state hostage. The Haredi parties will not extort budgets in exchange for the government's survival, and the Arab parties will not be able to prevent it from making security decisions.”