The opposition parties of Israel declared that they would bring a motion to dissolve the Parliament at one vote on Wednesday, presenting the most serious challenge to the right -wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and increasing the spectrum of the first elections.
If the motion passes, it is unlikely that the government falls immediately. The parliamentary process before any final vote could take months, giving the Prime Minister the time to support its increasingly fractured government coalition or fix its agenda for a return to the polls. But he would make a serious blow to his political credibility.
The opposition parties are exploiting a crisis within the government coalition on controversial and ten-year politics that exempt ultra-orthodox men who study religion in seminars with mandatory military service.
The Ultraodox coalition partners of Netanyahu, the United Torah Judaism and Shas's parties, were under discussion with other government members compared to proposals to limit exemptions. The problem took on greater urgency and pushed the growing anger and public control, from the attack led by Hamas on 7 October 2023, he turned on the Israel war in Gaza.
Torah United Judaism threatened to vote with the opposition, stating that it cannot accept the principle of drafting the seminary students. If Shas also votes with the opposition, it could provide the majority necessary to dissolve the Parliament.
The coalition of Mr. Netanyahu commands the majority of 68 seats in the 120 -seater Knesset. The Shas and the Judaism of the Torah United hold 18 seats with each other, giving them a strong lever.
The division within the coalition gave the main opposition parties a political opportunity to challenge the government. As they support the transfer to enroll ultra-Orthodox religious students, they say that their priority is to break down the government of Mr. Netanyahu and force new elections.
The government, which was formed at the end of 2022, is the most right and religiously conservative in the history of Israel. The next elections would take place in October 2026 if it were to reach the complete term.
If the motion is approved on Wednesday, the bill should go to a parliamentary committee for the revision before returning to the assembly for further votes and Netanyahu and its political allies could block this process for months.
But analysts say that even preliminary approval to dissolve Parliament could further destabilize his government.
“The entire system would go in a different mode: the electoral mode,” said Aviv Bushinsky, a political analyst and former media councilor of Mr. Netanyahu. Losing a vote would indicate a lack of leadership from Netanyahu, he added and the inability to control his coalition.
Gabby Sobelman Reports contributed by Rehovot, Israel.