Rabbi Dov Landau, a leading figure in Israel’s Lithuanian Haredi community, on Tuesday ordered ultra-Orthodox lawmakers to “work toward dissolving the Knesset as soon as possible.”
“From this point onward, we will do only what is good for the Haredi community and the world of Torah study,” Landau announced in a statement cited by the Ynet outlet.
“We have no trust” in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, lawmakers from the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah faction were summoned to Landau’s home after Netanyahu told ultra-Orthodox parties there was no majority to pass legislation exempting yeshivah students from military service before elections due by Oct. 27, Channel 12 News reported.
The United Torah Judaism Party, which comprises the Degel HaTorah and the Chassidic Haredi Agudat Yisrael faction, was awaiting approval from its rabbis to schedule a vote to dissolve the Knesset, triggering a snap election.
A senior party official told Channel 12 on Tuesday, “The show is over.”
Meanwhile, an official in the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party, Shas, told the broadcaster that “we are coordinating with Degel HaTorah, and the decision on dissolving the Knesset will be made jointly with them and with Netanyahu.”
Israel’s coalition government in March moved to pass the 2026 state budget without a highly debated draft exemption law, which was temporarily shelved.
“We are now putting aside controversial issues that are not suitable for wartime,” said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing both the legislation that would exempt haredi yeshivah students from military service as well as several unspecified proposed reforms.
The enlistment bill that was under consideration reflects Netanyahu’s attempt to forge a compromise with his Haredi political partners.
However, two weeks ago, Israel’s Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, ordered the government to take a series of measures against ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, in response to petitions accusing the state of contempt of court for failing to enforce existing conscription laws.
The decision came in the wake of a November ruling ordering the state to formulate sanctions to enforce military conscription, stressing that government benefits should not be granted to those evading service.
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox sector generally considers national service a distraction from Torah study and a threat to their way of life. However, Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel and the ensuing War of Redemption have heightened demands by the general public that Haredim contribute to the Jewish nation’s defense.
Between 63,000 and 66,000 young Haredi men studying in yeshivahs are legally required to serve. Since the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel, more than 1,000 haredim have voluntarily enlisted, and a similar number have volunteered for civilian national service.
