ALBAWABA - A significant political obstacle faces Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the Knesset gets ready to vote on the state budget for 2025. The government would be automatically dissolved and early elections would be announced if the budget was not passed by the end of March.
In the event that a bill exempting them from military duty is not enacted, ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) parties are threatening to withdraw their support. Aryeh Deri, the head of Shas, had earlier threatened to pull Haredi parties out of the coalition if the draft exemption bill was not enacted. Since then, however, Deri has changed his mind and advocated for budget approval in order to preserve stability throughout the conflict. Yitzhak Goldknopf, the head of United Torah Judaism (UTJ), is adamant that the draft bill be approved first, stating that an early election might result if this is not done.
In an effort to bridge these differences, Netanyahu has urged coalition members to endorse the budget while pledging to move the draft bill forward. According to reports, Yuli Edelstein, the chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, is anticipated to submit a draft exemption request in the coming days.
Like many Likud members and the opposition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and far-right leader Itamar Ben Gvir are adamantly against giving the Haredim military exemptions. According to a recent study, 40% of Israelis are angry at the Haredim's unwillingness to join, indicating that public dissatisfaction is rising.
With military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria keeping pressure on his coalition, analysts believe Netanyahu is using the existing security concerns to postpone the problem. Since right-wing groupings are unlikely to risk losing power, some foresee early elections, while others think Netanyahu will approve the budget.
The future of Netanyahu's administration is still up in the air due to ongoing political scheming and growing pressure from the public and coalition members.
