Haredi Rabbi Orders Knesset Dissolution Over Draft Exemptions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition faced its most severe crisis in years on Tuesday when a leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi instructed lawmakers from the Degel HaTorah faction to pursue the dissolution of the Knesset over stalled legislation exempting Haredi Jews from mandatory military service.

Rabbi Dov Lando, spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah within the United Torah Judaism alliance, directed party members to act "as soon as possible," citing a breakdown in trust with Netanyahu. According to reports, Netanyahu recently informed ultra-Orthodox leaders that the coalition lacked the votes to pass the exemption bill in its current form, amid opposition from within his own Likud party and broader public backlash following the Gaza war and the mobilization of tens of thousands of reservists.

The dispute centers on long-standing exemptions for Haredi men studying in yeshivas, which allow deferments from conscription at age 18 until 26. Israel's Supreme Court ruled last June that the government must conscript ultra-Orthodox men and end state subsidies for yeshivas whose students refuse service, exacerbating manpower shortages estimated at 15,000 soldiers by...