Shas Ministers Resign Israeli Government, Coalition Reduced to 60 Seats

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition in Israel faces a severe crisis as the ultra-Orthodox Shas party announced the resignation of its ministers in protest against the government's failure to pass legislation exempting yeshiva students from mandatory military service. Despite resigning from their ministerial roles, Shas declared it would remain part of the coalition and continue supporting it in parliamentary votes, thus not immediately toppling the government, which is now reduced to a fragile 60 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The crisis intensified after the United Torah Judaism party also left the coalition over the same conscription issue, further threatening Netanyahu's narrow majority. Shas ministers, including those overseeing interior, health, labor, welfare, and religious services, are expected to formally resign, while the party continues to criticize Likud MK Yuli Edelstein for backtracking on promises to soften the conscription bill. The dispute centers on preserving the decades-long religious exemption for ultra-Orthodox men, a contentious issue exacerbated by public opposition amid prolonged wartime. Netanyahu's coalition also faces additional pressures related to governance challenges following the Hamas attacks and differing views among far-right partners about ceasefire negotiations.