Political Crisis in Israel: The "United Torah Judaism" Party Refused to Support Netanyahu

The formation of Israel’s new government has encountered serious difficulties after the ultra-Orthodox party “United Torah Judaism” officially refused to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister during consultations with President Isaac Herzog. According to the Vima Orthodoxias website, this decision deprived the incumbent prime minister of the support of seven key seats.

The decision was made after the spiritual leaders of the two factions comprising the bloc—"Deegel HaTorah" and "Agudat Yisrael"—issued a clear directive not to support any candidate. As a result of this move, Netanyahu’s position has weakened: he can now count on the support of only 46 lawmakers. At the same time, Gadie Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, having secured the support of the Ra’am party, has increased his number of supporters to 56 lawmakers.

Experts note that this stance by the ultra-Orthodox is linked to deep disappointment with Netanyahu’s policies. The party is demanding the passage of a law that would exempt yeshiva students from mandatory military service, but the prime minister has yet to make any progress on this issue. Although the demands regarding the bill remain a stumbling block for Gadi Eizenkot’s coalition as well— which insists on conscripting the ultra-Orthodox, representatives of Eizenkot’s bloc have recently refrained from categorically refusing to cooperate with the Haredim.

As a reminder, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated in his official Passover address that his country is the only state in the region that guarantees the safety of Christians and protects their freedom of religion. The head of government emphasized the authorities’ intention to safeguard the rights of believers even amid a complex geopolitical situation and external threats.