Netanyahu’s government avoids collapse despite tensions over ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government survived an opposition-led bid to dissolve parliament on Thursday, as lawmakers voted 61-53 against the proposal.
The bill aimed to trigger snap elections, capitalizing on tensions with ultra-Orthodox coalition partners over military draft exemptions. Although ultra-Orthodox parties had threatened to back the motion, most ultimately voted against it.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said, “When coalitions begin to fall apart, they fall apart. This is what it looks like when a government begins to collapse.”
Ahead of the vote, Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein announced that parties had agreed on “principles on which the draft conscription law will be based,” though he offered no details.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned, “History will not forgive anyone who drags the state of Israel into elections during a war.”
Netanyahu’s coalition includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. A shift in support from any faction could dismantle his government. The opposition must now wait six months before tabling a similar motion.