Haredi boycott forces coalition to pull bills from Knesset agenda

A boycott by the ultra-Orthodox parties of votes in the Knesset plenum and committees for government and coalition positions has already derailed committee meetings and forced the coalition to remove several bills from today’s agenda. Among the withdrawn items was Likud MK Sasson Guetta’s proposal to transfer 20 million shekels to the Sdot Negev Regional Council because of the October 7 attacks, a bill meant for second and third readings.

The coalition also pulled a private bill by MKs Eliyahu Revivo and Yitzhak Kroizer of Likud and Limor Son Har-Melech of Otzma Yehudit that would ease the criteria for defining incitement to terrorism through praise or support for a terror act. On Tuesday, the Finance Committee closed after only a short time because there was no majority, following Haredi opposition to the budget transfers on its agenda.

The plenum is now debating the House Committee’s decision not to lift Likud MK Tally Gotliv’s immunity for criminal indictment after she revealed the name of Shikma Bressler’s husband, who works for the Shin Bet. A majority is expected to oppose lifting her immunity. Meanwhile, Shas and United Torah Judaism have been angry for a year over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to advance the “draft-dodging law” and are demanding early elections.

To ease Haredi pressure, Netanyahu agreed to promote several religious bills before any dissolution, including the draft-dodging bill, the daycare subsidies bill, a Basic Law on Torah study, and a bill that would cancel the kosher certification reform from the Bennett-Lapid government. United Torah Judaism and Agudat Yisrael want the daycare bill advanced in first reading, but Netanyahu is refusing for now, and coalition leaders say they lack a majority.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri is trying to split the draft-dodging legislation and quickly pass a one-year temporary freeze on arrests of Haredi draft evaders, amid public pressure over recent arrests. On the Torah study Basic Law, coalition leaders again cite a lack of votes because several Likud and Religious Zionism lawmakers oppose it, and even a softer wording calling Torah study a “significant contribution” still has no majority.

Committee work will continue tomorrow on the bill to cancel the kosher reform, while the Communications Committee resumes work tomorrow and Sunday on Shlomo Karhi’s broadcasting bill, and the Constitution Committee continues Sunday on the plan to split the attorney general’s post. For now, talks on dissolving the Knesset have been pushed back. Because dissolution is delayed, the election date also moves later, and the coalition gains more time to advance its preferred legislation before the Knesset is dissolved. The current election date is October 27, the Knesset is now expected to dissolve on July 19, and if elections are moved up to October 20, dissolution would have to happen by July 9 at the latest. Deri said he expects elections on October 13 or 20, 2026, and the bottom line is that only 3.5 to 4.5 weeks of parliamentary work remain.