Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure as a religious political party has withdrawn from the ruling coalition over a dispute concerning military conscription.
With this departure, Netanyahu’s coalition now holds only a slim majority in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament). However, he still retains sufficient political support to push forward a possible ceasefire deal in Gaza.According to a Reuters report published Tuesday, six lawmakers from the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party — a key member of Netanyahu’s ruling alliance — have resigned from parliamentary committees and ministries. They cited the government’s failure to guarantee that ultra-Orthodox religious students would be exempt from military conscription as the reason for their resignation.There are also growing rumors that another ultra-Orthodox ally, the Shas party, may also exit the coalition. If that happens, the Netanyahu-led government would lose its parliamentary majority.UTJ lawmakers confirmed that they have already submitted their resignation letters, which will take effect within 48 hours. This gives Netanyahu just two days to resolve the crisis and save his coalition. The threat of coalition breakdown has haunted Netanyahu’s administration for a long time.Even if the opposition fails to take advantage of this moment, the Israeli parliament is scheduled to go on summer recess at the end of this month, giving Netanyahu up to three additional months to resolve the crisis—even if he temporarily loses his majority, his position as Prime Minister will not be immediately threatened.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu is facing internal pressure from far-right parties within his coalition over ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Qatar. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas are currently underway, aiming to implement a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. If successful, the deal would include the release of half of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the devastated Gaza Strip.A successful ceasefire deal could also pave the way for broader negotiations to end the war entirely.
While far-right ministers such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich oppose the ceasefire and demand continued military action, Netanyahu reportedly has enough cabinet votes to approve the agreement.
In an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday, Netanyahu’s close aide Topaz Luk said, “If the right proposal comes to the table in parliament, the Prime Minister will be able to get it passed.”—Military Conscription CrisisThe war in Gaza, which has now lasted 21 months, has increasingly angered the Israeli public. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack, marking one of the deadliest days in Israeli history.
That day, Hamas fighters infiltrated Israeli territory, killed 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza.Officials from Gaza’s Ministry of Health say that more than 58,000 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli military operations.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced, with massive destruction turning most areas into rubble and triggering a severe humanitarian crisis.The ongoing war has also led to Israel’s highest military casualties in decades. So far, around 450 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat against Hamas fighters. This stark reality has intensified the already-heated national debate surrounding the “New Conscription Bill”, which is at the heart of the current political crisis.
For years, ultra-Orthodox students in Israel’s religious schools (yeshivas) have been exempt from military service — a long-standing issue of national resentment. Many Israelis now believe that this exemption is unfair, especially during a prolonged and deadly conflict.
