Overview

• Vereinigtes Tora-Judentum announced its withdrawal after leading rabbis rejected all compromise on compulsory service, stripping the coalition of seven critical seats
• The coalition currently holds 68 of 120 Knesset seats and would only lose its majority if Shas also abandons the government with its 11 mandates
• Several opposition parties plan to introduce a motion next week to dissolve parliament unless a last-minute agreement is reached
• A Supreme Court decision in summer 2024 ended ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions decades old, but just 1,721 men have enlisted since the ruling
• The IDF has warned of a severe combat-ready manpower shortage in the Gaza conflict, intensifying pressure to broaden the recruitment base