JERUSALEM: A religious party has quit Israel’s ruling coalition in a dispute over military service, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a razor-thin majority in parliament.

Six members of United Torah Judaism (UTJ) handed in resignation letters overnight from posts in parliamentary committees and government ministries, in protest against lawmakers’ failure to guarantee future exemption from military conscription for ultra-Orthodox religious students.

Shas, a second ultra-Orthodox party closely allied with UTJ, may follow and leave the government with no parliament majority.

The UTJ lawmakers said their walkout would come into effect after 48 hours, giving Netanyahu two days to try and resolve the crisis which has dogged his coalition for months.

Even if that fails, parliament goes on summer break at the end of July, which would give the prime minister a further three months to seek a solution before any loss of his majority could threaten his position.

Six members of an ultra-Orthodox party quit Israel’s ruling coalition to protest MPs’ refusal to exempt religious students from military service

Netanyahu is also facing pressure from far-right parties in his coalition over ceasefire talks underway in Qatar.

The indirect negotiations between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas aim to halt fighting in Gaza for 60 days to allow half of remaining hostages held by Hamas to be released and aid to flow into the battered enclave.

It would also open a further phase of talks on ending the war entirely.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich want Israel to press on with the war, but Netanyahu would still be likely to have enough cabinet votes to secure a ceasefire without them.

Military exemptions

Many Israelis have also become increasingly weary of the 21-month war in Gaza that has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians and at least 1,650 Israelis, besides many prisoners held by both sides. Since it has also exacted Israel’s highest military death toll in decades, this has added fuel to an already explosive debate over a new conscription bill at the center of Netanyahu’s political crisis.

Ultra-Orthodox seminary students have long been exempt from mandatory military service.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2025