Tel Aviv: Two key parties from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition – Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) – have decided to pull away from the government. This comes amid rising tensions in the country, including Israel’s rapid military actions in Syria and ongoing domestic debates.
On Wednesday, after a meeting of the influential Torah Sage Council, the Shas party announced it would separate from the government but stay within the ruling coalition. This means Shas ministers are likely to resign from their cabinet posts, possibly by Thursday morning. However, the party will still support the government in parliament, helping Netanyahu keep his majority.
The UTJ party, on the other hand, has taken a tougher stance. It has withdrawn both from the government and the coalition entirely. Together, Shas and UTJ hold 18 seats in the 120-member Israeli Parliament, Knesset, UTJ has 7, and Shas holds 11.
What’s the controversy?
The political crisis has been triggered by disagreement over the Haredi Draft Bill. In Israel, military service is mandatory for all citizens when they turn 18. However, Haredi Jews, a deeply religious community, have long been exempted from this rule.
Israeli Supreme Court had ruled that Haredi Jews should not be excluded from military service. In response, Netanyahu’s government tried to introduce the Haredi Draft Bill, which would continue to exempt Haredi Jews from conscription. But progress on passing the bill has been slow, angering the religious parties that support it.
Both Shas and UTJ have strongly demanded that the government pass this bill quickly. Shas party’s newspaper Haderech criticized the government, accusing it of failing to implement its promises.
Shas blames Likud
After the decision to exit the government, Shas leaders blamed Netanyahu’s Likud party for creating this crisis. Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli said that the new version of the draft bill prepared by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein doesn’t meet earlier commitments and is unfair to Haredi (Yeshiva) students.
Malkieli directed all Shas representatives to leave their government posts immediately, although the party will not push for fresh elections. It will continue to support Netanyahu in parliament.
Will Netanyahu lose power?
Despite the current tensions, Netanyahu’s leadership is not under immediate threat. The Israeli Parliament has 120 seats, and a government needs at least 61 seats to stay in power.
Before this crisis, Netanyahu’s coalition had 68 seats. With UTJ’s 7 seats gone, the coalition still holds 61, just enough to retain a majority.
So, while this situation shows cracks in the ruling alliance, it does not yet mean the fall of the government. However, it puts Netanyahu in a weaker position and increases pressure to resolve disputes within his coalition.