As Israel’s parliament heads toward a vote to dissolve itself, internal divisions within the ultra-Orthodox camp are casting uncertainty over the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition. While some leading Hasidic rabbis have urged their representatives to abandon the government, other religious leaders are counseling restraint.
The tension follows a rare and forceful directive last week by the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Yisrael, a senior body representing Hasidic rabbinic leadership, instructing lawmakers to support the bill and quit the coalition. The decision marked a dramatic shift for Netanyahu’s Haredi partners, who have been instrumental in sustaining his government.
The council, which met Thursday in the village of Ora near Jerusalem for the first time in three years, issued a statement declaring: “We will not be part of a government that persecutes the Torah world. Knesset members from Agudat Yisrael are instructed to immediately advance a bill to dissolve the Knesset.”
Since the announcement, Netanyahu allies have explored whether the Sanz Hasidic dynasty might defy the council’s order and instruct its representative, MK Moshe-Shimon Roth, to vote against dissolution. But sources within the community indicated that the directive is binding and not subject to reversal.
Two key rebbes — from the Belz and Sanz sects — did not attend the council meeting. While the Belz leadership has reportedly expressed discomfort with the directive, they have not moved to oppose it. Sanz representatives similarly affirmed their support for the council’s authority, despite past instances where MK Roth voted independently, including on a tax bill last December.
Still, the situation has stirred debate across the ultra-Orthodox spectrum. On Monday, Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, a senior Lithuanian Haredi figure, addressed concerns over ongoing negotiations on military draft exemptions for Haredi men. “We are working on this from every angle,” he said. “With God’s help, it will be okay.”
The conscription issue has long been a flashpoint between religious parties and secular lawmakers. As part of the latest negotiations, Netanyahu’s Likud has proposed limited enlistment targets, but hardline rabbis remain firmly opposed to any compromise.
In the Shas party, which represents Sephardic Haredim, tensions have also surfaced. Though Shas has continued talks with Likud, three members of its Council of Torah Sages — Rabbis Moshe Tzadkah, Moshe Maya, and Shlomo Mahfoud — released a letter denouncing even partial enlistment of Torah students, including those joining religious army units.
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“When the government insists on rejecting any deferral law unless it includes quotas or enlistment targets, seeking to prey on the weak, the name of God is desecrated,” the letter read. “We must state unequivocally: the prohibition against army enlistment applies to all Torah-observant Jews. So-called ‘Haredi’ tracks inevitably lead to spiritual decline and grave transgressions.”
The Knesset is expected to vote on the dissolution bill later this week. A successful vote would trigger early elections and potentially reshape Israel’s political map, with the ultra-Orthodox parties once again playing kingmaker.
First published: 19:01, 06.09.25