An Israeli ultra-Orthodox party that has been a key governing partner of Netanyahu has said it is leaving the coalition government, Al Jazeera reports.
United Torah Judaism’s two factions said they were bolting the government over disagreements surrounding a bill that would codify broad military draft exemptions for their constituents, many of whom study Jewish texts instead of enlisting in the military.
“After the government repeatedly violated its commitments to ensure the status of Jewish seminary students,” the Degel HaTorah faction said in a statement, its lawmakers announced “their resignation from the coalition and the government”.
Once it comes into effect within 48 hours, it will leave the Israeli leader with a slim majority in a government that could now more heavily rely on the whims of two far-right parties. Those parties oppose concessions in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas and have themselves quit or threatened to quit the government over moves to end or even pause the war in Gaza.
