Historic Day: Is This the Beginning of the End for Netanyahu’s Government?

The Israeli government faces one of its most dramatic political showdowns in recent memory, as tensions over the controversial military draft exemption bill pushed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to the brink.

The Knesset convened at 11:00 AM with several opposition-sponsored bills to dissolve the parliament. If ultra-Orthodox factions follow through on their threat to support those motions, they could gain enough votes to pass in a preliminary reading, setting off a chain of events that could lead to early elections in Israel.

Netanyahu has been scrambling behind the scenes, trying to broker a last-minute compromise between the ultra-Orthodox parties and Likud’s Yuli Edelstein, chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Speaking during a Finance Committee meeting earlier in the morning, "Torah Judaism" party Membert of Knesset Yitzhak Pindrus confirmed that his party would vote in favor of dissolving the Knesset.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s strategy appears to involve dividing the ultra-Orthodox alliance by appealing to Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni, in hopes of isolating Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf and the Gur Hasidic leadership behind him.

Sources close to Netanyahu are also pointing to the heightened security threats from Iran and regional instability as reasons to delay the political crisis. They are reportedly urging the ultra-Orthodox leadership to allow at least another week or two to reach a final compromise and prevent the collapse of the coalition.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders announced a decision to bring the Knesset dissolution bill to the floor for a vote, while removing other opposition bills from the agenda to focus entirely on toppling the government.

Although the opposition could still withdraw the proposal later in the day if the coalition resolves its internal crisis, the move has increased pressure on Netanyahu and narrowed his room for maneuver.

Even if the dissolution bill passes its first reading today, coalition sources estimate that Netanyahu could still stall the legislative process and reach a deal to keep the government afloat until the summer recess begins in six weeks.

His allies argue that all coalition factions, including the ultra-Orthodox, ultimately prefer to preserve power rather than face early elections.

Still, the situation remains highly fluid. “This could be the last meeting,” warned MK Moshe Gafni last week. With the Knesset in session and political tensions at a boiling point, observers are asking the question out loud:

Is Netanyahu’s government starting to fall?