Israeli Coalition Plans to Drop 'Consensus Legislation' Amid Pre-Election Lawmaking Rush

One week before the Knesset dissolves for elections, various committees convened on Sunday to discuss a series of controversial bills aimed for second and third readings in the plenum. Amid this legislative rush, the coalition intends to abandon the "clean table" procedure, which traditionally allows the Knesset to pass laws agreed upon by both the coalition and opposition during the final days of a term. These laws are typically designed to benefit the general public but are being sidelined to prioritize completing a legislative package that secures Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political bloc.

In this context, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approved the bill to freeze the detention of yeshiva students, sponsored by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, for second and third readings. This approval came despite the committee's legal advisor's opinion that the revised bill lacks essential mechanisms to meet recruitment targets and establish tailored service tracks, raising constitutional concerns about equality and potentially constituting unlawful discrimination.

Knesset members faced an especially tight schedule, debating multiple bills across various committees simultaneously. These included the Basic Law on Torah Study, legislation to weaken the Attorney General's role, a law to cancel the kosher reform, and the Second Authority Law proposed by Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel. All discussions are proceeding in parallel to meet the goal of passing all legislation by the end of the week before the Knesset's dissolution.