Israel Opposition Plans Knesset Dissolution Vote Amid Draft Law Deadlock

Israel's opposition parties have united to submit a bill to dissolve the Knesset, aiming to force new elections and topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The move is driven by the ongoing crisis over legislation to exempt ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men from military service, an issue that has deeply divided both the coalition and the broader Israeli public, especially during the ongoing Gaza war. The success of the dissolution bill hinges on support from the Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, which have publicly threatened to back the measure in protest but are under intense pressure from Netanyahu to delay or abstain. The government is attempting to stall the vote by flooding the agenda with other bills, while the opposition has cleared its own agenda to focus solely on this effort. If the bill fails, a similar attempt cannot be made for six months, making this a high-stakes gamble for the opposition. Even if the preliminary vote passes, the process to dissolve the Knesset and call new elections could take several weeks, during which further political maneuvering is expected.