The coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel is facing a crisis as a key ally has quit, leaving the government with just 50 seats in the 120-member-strong Parliament.
Netanyahu’s government is now in a minority in the Parliament amid multiple issues that Israel is dealing with.
The reason for the fallout between Benjamin Netanyahu and Shas, an ultra-Orthodox political party, is a proposed law related to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, a group that Shas claims to represent in the Netanyahu government.
Michale Malkieli, a minister in Netanyahu’s government from the Shas party, said that it is “impossible” to be a “partner” in the government in the “current situation.”
What Is The New Law That Has Left Netanyahu In Limbo?
The bone of contention between Netanyahu and Shas is a law that dates back to 1948, when Israel was formed.
Its first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, agreed to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from mandatory military service.
Initially, only hundreds of such men were given an exemption; its numbers surged dramatically in the later years.
Now, with war in Gaza resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli soldiers, this issue is once again in the spotlight as common Israelis view it as an unfair practice to grant the ultra-Orthodox Jewish men leniency from this rule.
However, the ultra-Orthodox defend their exemption by saying that their men study Jewish texts and help to safeguard Israel’s culture by reading the Torah—the holy book of Jews.
Last year, the Israeli Supreme Court also ended this exemption, something that parties like Shas have vehemently opposed.
In response, Shas urged Netanyahu to pass a law that would keep the exemptions as they are. But the Israeli government has failed to fulfill the demands of Shas, resulting in a breach of trust.
Instead, Netanyahu’s government is trying to find a middle path regarding the law, and Shas sees it as detrimental to their ideology, prompting the pullout from the government.
The Origins Of Shas And Its Rise As The Kingmaker In Israeli Politics
Founded in 1984 by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the party is the third-largest in the Israeli Parliament Knesset and has been an ally with most governments of Israel.
Shas says it seeks to protect Sephardic Jews and promote Halakha, the religious law of Jews.
Its overtly religious tone has helped the party to form a base among the orthodox section of Israeli society and gain multiple seats in every election, fueling its rise as the kingmaker in Israel.
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