The Israeli parliament on Thursday morning did not support the initiative to dissolve itself in the vote. This happened after a compromise was reached in the ruling coalition regarding the controversial bill on military duty. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
The preliminary vote, which could have been the first step towards early elections, did not get the required number of votes: 61 deputies voted against, 53 supported. There are 120 seats in the Knesset, so a simple majority was needed to pass the decision.
This decision gave Benjamin Netanyahu's government additional time to resolve the deep political crisis, avoiding early elections, which would be the first since the beginning of the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Prime Minister is trying to preserve the integrity of the coalition, which is in conflict over a bill concerning exemption from compulsory service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminarians.
I am pleased to announce that after lengthy discussions, we have reached agreements on the principles on which this bill will be based
The issue of exempting religious students from service has long divided Israeli society, but has worsened during the full-scale military campaign in Gaza. The Israeli army is suffering the most serious losses in a decade and needs new reservists.
Against the background of this conflict, some ultra-Orthodox factions in the coalition stated that they are ready to support the opposition in the vote to dissolve the parliament in order to speed up the holding of elections, which would otherwise have to take place no earlier than the end of 2026.
Now more than ever, it is urgently necessary to replace the Netanyahu government, and especially this toxic and harmful government. It is urgently necessary to end the war in Gaza and return all the hostages. It is urgently necessary to start rebuilding and healing the state of Israel
Additionally
According to opinion polls, Benjamin Netanyahu's government coalition risks losing the future elections due to deep public discontent. Outrage is caused, in particular, by the unsuccessful defense of the country during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
This attack led to the bloodiest day in Israel's history - 1,200 people died, and 251 Israelis were taken hostage. The fighting, which has been going on for more than eight months, has claimed the lives of more than 400 Israeli soldiers.
Reference
Ultra-Orthodox parties in Israel insist on exempting their supporters from military service, considering religious education a sacred duty. However, in the context of the war in Gaza, public support for such exceptions has fallen sharply.
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