Political Drama: A Majority Secured for Early Elections in Israel

After Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu failed to advance the military service exemption law for Chareidim, leading gedolei Yisroel have announced their demand calling on their Knesset representatives to dissolve the Knesset and proceed to early elections, likely to be held around Sukkos time.

This decision was reached after months of appeals by the chareidi parties to legislate a law that would prevent the closure of the yeshiva world and the enlistment of all Yeshivah Bochrim into the IDF. Prime Minister Netanyahu, however, has so far ignored these demands, holding only a handful of meetings in recent weeks without any meaningful decisions being made.

As a result, this morning, the gedolei Yisroel—Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita—issued a clear call: “The Knesset must be dissolved.” Their statement joins the position of the Gerrer Rebbe, who also ordered his representatives to push for early elections.

This afternoon, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri convened his party and declared their support for the move, forming a solid majority for advancing the Knesset dissolution law, with legislative steps expected to begin as early as next week.

Belaaz News has learned that the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Chassidus is set to convene tomorrow to formally ratify this decision. At this hour, it remains unclear how Prime Minister Netanyahu will act, or whether he will attempt a last-minute compromise to prevent the elections, but it appears he has only a week to do so before the Knesset plenum votes on the bill that will break his coalition.