United Torah Judaism Exits Netanyahu's Coalition Over Military Service Exemption Dispute

United Torah Judaism, one of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties, announced its departure from Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, citing unresolved issues regarding the military service exemption for yeshiva students. In total, six members of the party, which includes the factions of Degel Hatorah and Agudat Yisrael, submitted letters of resignation, following the earlier resignation of their chairman, Yitzhak Goldknopf, just a month prior.

This exit significantly impacts Netanyahu’s standing, reducing his governing majority to a slender 61 out of 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. There is speculation regarding whether Shas, another ultra-Orthodox party, will also choose to leave the coalition. Degel Hatorah expressed in their statement that after consultation with their senior rabbis, they felt compelled to resign due to repeated breaches of the government's commitments concerning the status of yeshiva students dedicated to their studies.

The ultra-Orthodox factions had deemed the exemption for yeshiva students as a crucial part of their agreement to join the coalition in late 2022. A spokesperson for Goldknopf confirmed that the total number of resignations from the coalition has reached seven. These ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have issued warnings in the past about potentially exiting the coalition over the contentious conscription law, which has become a divisive issue amid ongoing military conflicts. With the Supreme Court’s demand for the defense ministry to begin drafting seminary students, the question of military service exemptions remains a hot debate, intensifying the already complex political scenario in Israel during this tumultuous period.