Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Elections 2026Analysis Netanyahu's leaked quotes from a 'closed meeting' were an attempt to create an impression that he had a rift with the ultra-Orthodox, showing that he really thinks the public is stupidShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeYossi Verter03:51 AM • August 03 2026 IDTIf everything had gone according to plan and U.S. President Donald Trump hadn't canceled the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wouldn't have had to hold the "closed meeting" that gave birth to his promise about "a comprehensive conscription law that will pass immediately" after he forms his next government. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Ultra-OrthodoxLikudHaredim Israeli politicsGadi EisenkotBenjamin NetanyahuUnited Torah JudaismCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahuU.S.-IranGaza DealLebanon Michigan PrimaryElection PollsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastNetanyahu Creates Alternative Reality to Lure Back VotersIDF Must Reject the Defense Minister's Order to Expel a West Bank Refugee CampThe Battle Over a Jerusalem Cafe May Be the Rallying Cry Secular Israelis NeededWhat Would PM Have in Common With Zelenskyy?'The Haredim Are More Moral Than Most of Your Secular Jews'Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThis Israeli ultra-Orthodox Feminist Activist Has a Warning for U.S. JewsNetanyahu Says Israel Has 'Special Forces' Ready if He's Arrested on NY VisitTwo Female Israeli Soldiers Die by Suicide as IDF Mental Health Crisis DeepensDozens of IDF Soldiers Desert Sde Teiman Base in Protest of CommanderTrump's Irritation, Netanyahu's Desperation: Oval Office Smiles Mask Rifts'I Tried, I Got Crushed by AIPAC': Andy Levin Is All-in for El-Sayed