tel aviv —
A wave of jeers greeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s parliament prepares to debate a controversial bill in the final days of his administration.
“Shame on you, go away, go away!” chanted dozens of opposition politicians on Tuesday.
The uproar was so great that Prime Minister Netanyahu left the chamber and did not participate in the vote altogether. I passed anyway.
Netanyahu’s absence did not slow down his push for a coalition government, which continued at a rapid pace this week before the Knesset dissolved on Friday ahead of general elections on October 27. Analysts say a series of controversial bills aimed primarily at meeting the demands of his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies were quickly put together.
The core of this push is to preserve Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political bloc. After nearly four tumultuous years that included mass protests, the Oct. 7 attacks, and a long, multi-pronged war, Netanyahu’s government has achieved the rare milestone of completing his term, something no Israeli government has accomplished since 1988. Prime Minister Netanyahu himself also achieved a goal that he had never achieved before, despite being the country’s longest-serving prime minister.
Its durability depended on a consistent strategy. In other words, it kept its coalition partners satisfied almost every time. This week’s push for end-of-term legislation is a continuation of that logic.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is fighting for political survival, and haredi parties are essential to that,” political analyst Nadav Eyal wrote. The goal is to “show my haredi partners that I am the only politician who will work for them,” he said.
The most political element of the bill was a bill that would provide for mass evasion of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, youth from military service. Israeli law requires military service for all 18-year-olds, but ultra-Orthodox men have long been exempt under a historic deal that has been repeatedly struck down by the Supreme Court.
The problem has become especially acute during wartime, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) saying it is short of at least 12,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, an estimated 72,000 eligible ultra-Orthodox men have not enlisted, leaving conscripts and reserve soldiers to shoulder the burden.
In the face of intense public opposition to sweeping immunity laws, Prime Minister Netanyahu has advanced workarounds to satisfy his ultra-Orthodox allies. One law enshrines the study of Torah in the Basic Law as a fundamental value of the nation, a move that critics argue lays the constitutional basis for immunity to survive future Supreme Court challenges. The second bill would grant temporary exemption to tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders until the end of January 2027.
Ahead of the vote, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir issued an unusual public warning, calling the bill “unthinkable” and “inconsistent” with the military’s needs, and warning that it could undermine the trust of those who serve. The letter prompted a fierce backlash from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies, with some Likud members calling for Zamir’s ouster and the head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri, accusing him of “meddling in politics.”
The bill passed regardless, but it is already facing legal challenges. Within hours of the vote, the opposition petitioned the High Court, which issued a preliminary injunction freezing its implementation.
The conscription bill is just one part of the broader coalition’s trade-offs. The ultra-Orthodox party supported some of Netanyahu’s own priorities, including a bill to limit the powers of the attorney general, a key element of the government’s wide-ranging judicial reforms. The move could allow the government to override its interpretation of the law and renew efforts to remove Attorney General Ghali Baharahu Miara, a move so far blocked by the Supreme Court.
Another bill to overhaul broadcasting regulations, which critics say expands government influence over the media and threatens press freedom, was also passed this week, as was a bill to expand single-sex academic programs. The latter drew heavy criticism from universities and women’s groups, who say it excludes women, undermines equality and threatens academic standards.
Other coalition partners are using this opportunity to advance their own agendas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a settlement funding package in the occupied West Bank that includes about 2.4 billion shekels (about $790 million) for new “clearance zones” and access roads, along with the disclosure of an earlier decision to legalize 34 new outposts. Smotrich said these moves bring the total number of new settlements approved under the current government to 104.
Public opinion appears to be sharply opposed to the core of the legislative push. A Channel 12 poll in July suggested that 66% of Israelis oppose the Basic Law of Torah Study, and 61% would rather the next government eliminate ultra-Orthodox political parties completely.
Sensing public sentiment, Netanyahu’s opponents have made the issue a key campaign theme. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar’s party, which is currently polling as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s main challenger, denounced what he called “a reckless deal, a bloc in exchange for the state.” Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called it a “vile anti-Zionist moment” and accused the government of “disrespecting soldiers, their families and the people they serve.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to be betting that the political costs will fade. “The people’s memory is shallow,” said a Likud insider. “Preserving a unified bloc is more important than the unpopularity of a single law, and that damage is already factored into his position,” the official said, offering simple calculations. “Are those who stuck with him after the judicial reform, after October 7, and even after the war, going to leave him now?”
The source added that Prime Minister Netanyahu would be “uninterested” even if the courts intervened, as a legal battle could reinforce the anti-judiciary message that is already central to his campaign.
