PM Netanyahu attempts to get Haredi draft exemption law passed before dissolution of Knesset

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly attempting to pass the IDF draft law exempting Haredi yeshivah students in a last-ditch effort to postpone the impending dissolution of the Knesset, Israeli media reports. 

Meanwhile, military officials have again raised a red flag about the lack of combat soldiers, warning that the proposed law would not address the IDF's needs in the short term.

The ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, frustrated over the inability to pass the Haredi draft exemption bill, called for the Knesset to be dissolved this week, triggering early elections. 

On Sunday, the draft exemption bill was placed back on the Knesset agenda, with discussion scheduled in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday ahead of an attempt to advance it toward a final vote. 

Channel 12 News reported that Netanyahu plans to exert heavy pressure on MKs from his own party, including threatening them with consequences in the upcoming Likud primary elections. 

Ultra-Orthodox sources told Israeli media that Prime Minister Netanyahu offered to resume discussions on the bill in an attempt to postpone elections until October. The Haredi parties are reported to prefer an election before the High Holidays in the fall (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles). 

Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party, reportedly told Haredi lawmakers “not to get drawn into political games and to support the dissolution of the Knesset this coming Wednesday.” 

Prime Minister Netanyahu previously told ultra-Orthodox party leaders that the coalition does not have enough support to pass the controversial bill, especially as the IDF continues to report a lack of adequate manpower amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and a possible resumption of military operations against Iran. 

Netanyahu was reported to have asked the Haredi parties to wait until after the 2026 elections to pass the law. The Haredi exemption bill is highly controversial in Israeli society, with many coalition members expressing criticism. 

A senior member of Degel Hatorah explained why the Haredi parties are rejecting Netanyahu’s offer to the ultra-Orthodox new site Kikar Hashabbat. 

“What do you do when you want to buy time?” the source asked. “They are now informing the Haredim that there is a breakthrough to achieve a majority, and they do not have a majority. They are telling [Knesset Defense Committee chairman] Boaz Bismuth to hold discussions in the committee, and according to the attorney general, at least two or three more discussions are needed before the law is read.” 

The senior party member said Netanyahu is currently freezing the vote on the Knesset Dissolution Law in order to gain another week or two before elections. 

Ultra-Orthodox Shas party Chairman Aryeh Deri said his party “demonstrated loyal partnership with the coalition, but elements between the coalition leaders and Knesset members from the Likud and Religious Zionism did not act in a similar way and blatantly violated the promises and agreement they signed.” 

“We have no choice but to bring about the dissolution of the Knesset and new elections as soon as possible,” Deri said. 

The ultra-Orthodox parties are sharply opposed to any effort to increase enlistment among the Haredi yeshivah population, often hosting large, and at times, violent protests against Haredi enlistment attempts.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu’s attempt to revive the draft exemption bill in a post to 𝕏.  

“Netanyahu knows he is facing defeat in the election and will do everything to gain a few more days in the Prime Minister’s Office,” Lapid said. “His attempt to sell out Israel’s security and try to pass a draft-dodging law is another betrayal of IDF soldiers and reservists.” 

Meanwhile, the IDF briefed Israeli media outlets about the projected manpower shortage of around 12,000 soldiers. This is expected to increase after the government's decision to shorten the mandatory service term comes into effect in early 2027. 

The military says it urgently needs at least 12,000 new recruits, with at least 7,000 being combat troops, to cover the gap. In the meantime, IDF reservists have had their duty extended multiple times over the past two and a half years due to a manpower shortage. 

“If we do not do something now through legislation, the situation will worsen and disrupt the entire system,” a senior officer told Israeli media. 

The military estimates that there are around 38,000 draft evaders in Israel, with about 75–80% of them being ultra-Orthodox. Another 52,000 individuals are set to be designated as draft evaders in the coming months.