The Haredim, or ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, of Israel are threatening to dissolve the Knesset if the prime minister does not immediately pass laws reinstating their social privileges.The Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, both ultra-Orthodox, are willing to pull support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s shaky coalition unless he passes legislation that promotes Torah study as a “significant service” to the state and ceases the arrest of ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse military service.“Today we held a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and conveyed to him, on behalf of the great men of Israel, an unequivocal demand to immediately advance the Basic Law on Torah Study and the Law to Stop the Arrests of Torah Students, by convening the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee and the Knesset Committee this week,” leaders of Shas and Degel Hatorah, a constituent part of UTJ, said Tuesday.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against military recruitment and call for the release of detained draft resisters outside a military prison near Kfar Yona, Israel, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Ariel Schalit/AP Photo)
The leaders said Netanyahu “made it clear at the meeting that he is committed to approving the laws and will work to advance them quickly.”The Tuesday meeting, though obviously tense, was a breakthrough after Shas and UTJ leaders previously rejected a meeting with Netanyahu planned for Monday.“The violent arrests of Torah students must stop!” Shas chairman Aryeh Deri told lawmakers in his party on Monday afternoon. “We informed the coalition chairman that as long as the law to stop arrests and the Basic Law on Torah study are not advanced, we will not support any coalition legislation.”By law, the next Israeli election must be held by Oct.27. The government is required to allot 90 days between the dissolution of the Knesset and the election, so the latest possible day the parliament can be dissolved is July 29. However, the body’s pre-election recess is slated to begin mid-July, meaning that the dissolution is likely to come even sooner.Haredi withdrawal from the coalition would only expedite a foregone election, but the optics and political fallout of ending the parliament with such bad blood could prove costly for Netanyahu, who is seeking reelection.The ultra-Orthodox believers’ role in Israeli society is a complex and long-debated source of contention in the country.Since Israel’s founding, members of the community who devoted themselves to Torah studies have been exempt from the nation’s compulsory military service. Ultra-Orthodox learners committed to lifelong Torah studies also receive government stipends, among other benefits.That was ended by a ruling from the High Court of Justice last year, which ruled unanimously that ultra-Orthodox men cannot be granted these privileges. The court found it illegal for Haredi communities to enjoy a religious exemption despite the rest of society sharing the burden of conscription — especially during a time of war and manpower shortage.The Haredi campaign to reinstate the exemptions has not been limited to political maneuvers or Knesset politicking — outraged ultra-Orthodox men have taken to the streets in violent protest of the change.Haredi protesters blocked traffic on a major highway outside of Jerusalem on Tuesday and are preparing a car convoy to protest at the Military Prison 10 on Wednesday.Israeli police clashed with ultra-Orthodox protesters West of Jerusalem on Monday night after rioters stormed the police station in Beit Shemesh. They were attempting to free a member of the community who had been arrested on charges of draft dodging.Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against military recruitment and call for the release of detained draft resisters outside a military prison near Kfar Yona, Israel, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Ariel Schalit/AP Photo)
