JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power for most of the past 17 years due in part to a tight alliance with ultra-Orthodox religious parties. But that alliance is tearing apart his governing coalition and proving to be another major liability for the long-serving Israeli leader as the country heads to elections later this year. The Oct. 7, 2023, attack — and the inconclusive wars that have followed — are also weighing on him.

Move follows coalition split over ultra-Orthodox military service exemptions, exposing widening fractures in Netanyahu’s government

For most of the past 17 years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power due in part to a tight alliance with ultra-Orthodox religious parties.