Benjamin Netanyahu will remain in power after government survives crucial Israel vote
By Emily Crane
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will remain in power after his government survived a crucial vote Thursday trying to dissolve its parliament amid heightened tensions over the war in Gaza and a new military conscription bill.
The vote — the most serious challenge to Netanyahu’s government since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack — was rejected after an agreement was reached with ultra-Orthodox parties regarding a dispute over conscription, the Knesset said in a statement.
The ultra-Orthodox parties had been furious that the government had failed to pass a law exempting their community from mandatory military service during the war.
Israel’s opposition had hoped that the public anger over the exemptions would help topple Netanyahu’s government.
Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at a podium.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin survived the vote — the most serious challenge to his government since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
AFP via Getty Images
The vote, however, was rejected 61-53.
Most legislators on the far-right agreed to vote against the bill after Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein said he and the ultra-Orthodox parties had reached an understanding on a new draft law.
Some religious parties in Netanyahu’s coalition are seeking exemptions for students from military service that is mandatory in Israel, while other lawmakers want to scrap exemptions altogether.
Growing increasingly impatient with the political deadlock, ultra-Orthodox coalition factions had threatened to vote with the opposition to dissolve the Knesset — a move that could have triggered an early election.
With Post wires
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