Netanyahu warns ultra-Orthodox parties early elections could lead to coalition defeat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned ultra-Orthodox parties that heading to early elections in September could lead to a defeat for the ruling coalition, even though the coalition itself submitted a bill to dissolve parliament, Israeli media reported Thursday. Israel's Channel 12, citing informed political sources, said Netanyahu told leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties that Israel "has not yet achieved the required accomplishment in Iran," adding that he is "not available to run an election campaign" at this time.

Coalition fears

The broadcaster said Netanyahu believes early elections "could lead to the defeat of the governing bloc." The warning comes amid fears inside the coalition that it could lose an election. The coalition submitted a bill on May 13 to dissolve parliament in an attempt to preempt the opposition, which had submitted two similar bills.

Conscription crisis

The developments come against the backdrop of a growing coalition crisis over a bill to exempt ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from military service. Netanyahu told Knesset members from ultra-Orthodox parties that he was "facing difficulty" passing the exemption bill because he does not have a sufficient majority, infuriating the parties who threatened to dissolve the Knesset.

Opposition push

The opposition has also pushed to dissolve parliament. Yesh Atid and The Democrats submitted two bills to dissolve the Knesset ahead of a planned vote next week. Three possible dates for early elections have been proposed: Sept. 1, Sept. 15, or the original general election date of Oct. 27.

ICC warrant

Netanyahu has been wanted since 2024 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, where more than 72,000 people have been killed since October 2023.