Netanyahu Shifts to Criticize Ultra-Orthodox Parties to Repair Electoral Damage

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has changed his approach toward the ultra-Orthodox parties following electoral setbacks linked to recent legislation. After previously supporting the so-called "Haredi deal," which included laws preventing the arrest of draft dodgers and enshrining Torah study as a constitutional principle, Netanyahu has launched an unusual campaign of criticism against the ultra-Orthodox community. This shift aims to distance himself from these parties ahead of the upcoming elections and to restore his political alliance with them afterward.

During the last Knesset term, especially amid controversies over the military draft exemption law, Netanyahu refrained from attacking ultra-Orthodox factions or their more extreme elements. Sources within Likud explained that his previous "bear hug" approach to the ultra-Orthodox caused electoral harm, particularly among moderate and nationalist right-wing voters. Netanyahu also avoided criticism during the Knesset summer session to prevent ultra-Orthodox support for a bill to dissolve the Knesset without his consent.

However, after the Knesset dissolved, Netanyahu's tone changed. He publicly condemned remarks by Rabbi Dov Lando, a leader of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community, who criticized religious Zionist soldiers. Netanyahu called such statements "shocking" and firmly rejected slogans like "we will die rather than enlist," which have been common in ultra-Orthodox protests. He declared to ultra-Orthodox leaders Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni that such attitudes are unacceptable.

Government Secretary Yossi Fox also stated that the draft law failed because Rabbi Lando blocked it at the last moment and warned that future governments would not present the ultra-Orthodox with a blank slate free of sanctions or recruitment targets. Despite a version of the law with significant sanctions being drafted under former Minister Yuli Edelstein, Netanyahu reportedly undermined it and even dismissed Edelstein to soften the legislation in favor of ultra-Orthodox demands.

In the final legislative week, Netanyahu actively worked to finalize the political deal with the ultra-Orthodox parties, though he avoided voting to maintain some distance. Now, recognizing the electoral damage caused, he is adopting a markedly different stance and sending a new message to voters and political allies alike.