Netanyahu using Iran tension, threats to try and stop Knesset dispersion vote
The vote to dissolve the Knesset is expected to happen around 10 p.m. after opposition party heads unanimously agreed to vote on the issue.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leveraging Israel's heightened security situation to dissuade haredi factions from voting in favor of dissolving the Knesset, warning that this is not the time for elections amid growing threats from Iran.
The Knesset plenary session opened on Wednesday, with opposition bills to dissolve the Knesset scheduled toward the end of the agenda. However, the coalition intends to first present about 25 private bills, aiming to delay and extend the session in an attempt to buy more time to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
These bills will likely be discussed but not voted on, as the Haredi factions are boycotting private legislation, causing a loss of the majority.
The opposition bills calling for the dissolution of the Knesset are expected to be brought up between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m., with a special plenary session set to honor Argentinian President Javier Milei, who is visiting the Knesset on Wednesday. The session will also include a speech by Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs is engaged in talks with representatives of the haredi factions and the Knesset's legal advisers, attempting to bridge the gaps regarding the wording of the conscription exemption law.
Netanyahu focuses on Iran's threat to maintain coalition unity and avoid early elections
MK Yitzhak Pindrus of United Torah Judaism stated on Wednesday that his party has not changed its position and will vote in favor of dissolving the Knesset. Pindrus made the statement after being asked about the matter by MK Naor Shiri of Yesh Atid during a Finance Committee discussion.Netanyahu has been pressuring both sides to reach a compromise, but significant gaps remain, particularly regarding sanctions for draft dodgers and when they would take effect. United Torah Judaism, led by Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf and his mentor, the admor (grand rabbi) of the Gur hassidic dynasty, has announced they will vote to dissolve the Knesset due to the lack of progress. The rabbis of Degel Hatorah have also instructed their Knesset members to support the measure.
In an effort to prevent the coalition from losing its majority, Netanyahu has focused his efforts on Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Degel Hatorah chairman Moshe Gafni, hoping to split the Haredi factions and isolate Goldknopf. Netanyahu’s associates have also been emphasizing the increasing threat from Iran as a reason to avoid elections. They are asking haredi leaders to support delaying the dissolution by one to two weeks, arguing that Israel’s security situation demands stability, not political uncertainty.
The opposition has announced that it has unanimously decided to bring the bill to dissolve the Knesset to a plenary vote. They also agreed to remove other opposition bills from the agenda in order to focus on their goal of toppling the current government.
However, if the coalition crisis is resolved later in the day and the opposition no longer holds a majority, the bills can be withdrawn.
Even if the dissolution bill passes its preliminary reading, the prevailing belief within the coalition is that Netanyahu will be able to reach an agreement with the Haredim to delay further legislation.
This would allow the government to survive the next six weeks until the summer session and go into recess until the end of October. Netanyahu’s associates are working to convince the haredim that dismantling the government and calling early elections would not be in their best interest. Instead, they could gain a few more months in power.
