Netanyahu Considers Holding Elections On Time Amid Deal With Ultra-Orthodox Parties

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office is considering holding the upcoming elections on their scheduled date, October 27, or close to it, as part of efforts to finalize a legislative deal with ultra-Orthodox parties. This deal aims to approve a series of laws demanded by the ultra-Orthodox community. Concurrently, Defense Minister Israel Katz has urged Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, to hold an urgent discussion on a temporary freeze of criminal proceedings against yeshiva students. Bismuth has announced that the committee will convene this week to address the issue.

Katz's letter emphasized the need to define who qualifies as a yeshiva student under the freeze, establish conditions for enforcement, and ensure effective oversight to prevent draft evasion among the ultra-Orthodox who do not study in yeshivas. This comes after Netanyahu incorrectly claimed that police were arresting Torah students inside yeshivas, a statement contradicted by police reports. Netanyahu argued that arrests of yeshiva students reduce enlistment rates and called for stopping such arrests, while maintaining that sanctions should apply to those not studying Torah.

Meanwhile, the Knesset committee debated a Basic Law on Torah Study. MK Dan Illouz of Likud criticized the coalition for betraying the public and desecrating the Torah by enabling continued exemptions from military service for those claiming to study Torah. MK Yoav Ben-Tzur of Shas visited imprisoned yeshiva students and reported on parliamentary efforts led by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri to halt arrests and regulate Torah study status in law.

The government secretary, Yossi Fuchs, also sent a letter calling for a three-month freeze on arrests of Torah students during the election period, with effective supervision. Despite claims of many ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, the IDF has not released detailed data, though it reported an increase in ultra-Orthodox enlistment since the war began, rising from an average of 700 to approximately 2,800 annually. However, the IDF estimates around 90,000 draft evaders currently exist, highlighting ongoing challenges in enforcement and integration.