❗️Netanyahu coalition moves to dissolve Knesset as Haredi draft crisis pushes Israel toward early elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on 20 May passed a preliminary bill to dissolve the Knesset, opening the door to early elections amid a deepening dispute with ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties over legislation that would determine whether more haredi men can continue to avoid military service, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The bill passed unanimously, 110–0, and must still clear three additional readings before taking effect. If approved, it would move elections forward from the currently scheduled date of 27 October to as early as September or mid-October, since Israeli law requires at least 90 days between the dissolution of parliament and a national vote.

At the center of the crisis is the highly controversial haredi draft bill. Netanyahu has been trying to preserve his coalition by advancing legislation that would largely satisfy ultra-Orthodox parties, whose communities have long received broad exemptions from compulsory military service. The issue has become increasingly explosive as the Israeli army warns of a severe manpower shortage after more than two years of war.

The ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah faction says it no longer trusts Netanyahu and continues to support dissolving the Knesset. By introducing the bill itself rather than allowing the opposition to do so, the coalition retains greater control over the timing of elections and over any final legislative push before a possible collapse of the government.

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