Netanyahu faces major setback as parliament vote looms

Netanyahu fears a major setback on Wednesday. The initial vote to dissolve the Israeli parliament will be held today. Even the Israeli prime minister’s own allies have turned against him, and there are desperate efforts to delay Netanyahu’s vote.

According to Arab media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a vote to dissolve parliament, while his key coalition partners have threatened to topple the government.

Reports claimed that few believe this will be the final phase for Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, who has faced corruption allegations for years, or his hard-right government, which is still in power despite security failures that arose after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

The opposition has called for the dissolution of parliament, and the vote will only succeed if Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners disagree with him over the failure to pass a law exempting him from military service, which deeply divided Israelis, especially during the current war in Gaza.

The ultra-Orthodox threats may be just a political ploy, and many experts expect Netanyahu to reach a last-minute compromise. However, the results of Wednesday’s vote will pose the biggest challenge to Netanyahu’s government since the war, and the impact of the collapse of the government coalition could be profound for Israel and the ongoing war.

Most Jewish men are obligated to serve in the military for about three years and then serve in the reserves. Jewish women serve two years of mandatory service. But the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up about 13 percent of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions from full-time religious education in seminaries. These exemptions, along with the financial aid given to many students, have caused deep resentment among the general public.

These exemptions, along with the financial aid given to many students, have caused deep resentment among the general public.

Following Hamas’ 2023 attack, Israel mobilized 360,000 reserve troops, the largest deployment since the 1973 Middle East War.

Israel is engaged in the longest ongoing war in its history, which has put its strong military under extreme strain.