The Media Line: Ultra-Orthodox Party Quits Israeli Coalition Over Draft Law Dispute

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Ultra-Orthodox Party Quits Israeli Coalition Over Draft Law Dispute

By The Media Line Staff

Israel’s coalition government was rocked Monday night when the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party announced its resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition over disagreements surrounding a new proposal to regulate military conscription exemptions for yeshiva students. The move, which will take effect within 48 hours, could strip Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority during a critical phase of the war in Gaza.

UTJ, which includes both the Hasidic Agudat Yisrael and the non-Hasidic Degel Hatorah factions, accused the government of betraying commitments to protect Torah study. “Participation in the government and the coalition should be immediately terminated,” wrote Rabbi Dov Lando, Degel Hatorah’s spiritual leader, in a letter ordering the withdrawal. Resignations were promptly submitted by several senior UTJ figures, including Finance Committee Chairman Moshe Gafni and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Meir Porush.

At the center of the standoff is a long-debated draft law that would codify broad exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox men. A version of the bill shown to UTJ on Monday reportedly included fingerprint tracking for yeshiva attendance and deferred exemptions only after the military induction process—provisions the party found unacceptable. Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein, who is spearheading the legislation, reportedly told associates, “I won’t have an evasion law, only an enlistment law.”

UTJ’s seven-seat withdrawal reduces the coalition from 64 to 57 seats, depriving Netanyahu of his Knesset majority. While the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which holds 11 seats, has not yet left the coalition, its departure would further isolate Netanyahu and all but guarantee a minority government.

The impact was felt immediately in the Knesset. Committees chaired by UTJ lawmakers—including the Labor and Welfare Committee, the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, and the Public Petitions Committee—canceled scheduled hearings. Likud members have already begun jockeying for the newly vacated posts.

Netanyahu’s coalition now faces the possibility of ruling as a minority government—an unstable configuration that would require support from opposition or unaffiliated lawmakers to pass any legislation. Still, parliamentary procedure shields the prime minister from a no-confidence vote until the end of the year. A three-month summer recess starting July 27 could also give him room to negotiate with UTJ or explore alternative alliances.

Cabinet Minister Miki Zohar of Likud struck a hopeful tone. “God willing, everything will be fine,” he said.

The crisis comes as ceasefire talks with Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, remain deadlocked. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have threatened to quit if the war ends before Hamas is dismantled, leaving the prime minister with little room to maneuver.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid condemned Netanyahu’s handling of the issue, writing on social media, “He’s doing everything to pass a disgraceful draft-dodging law while soldiers are dying in Gaza.”

Whether Netanyahu can stabilize his coalition or govern with a minority remains unclear, but UTJ’s departure has thrown his government into its most precarious state since the war with Hamas began.