A question of faith: Israel announces early elections, plans to dissolve Knesset

Israel has decided to dissolve the Knesset, the legislative branch of the government, and called for early elections amid tensions over a bill to legislate military conscription for ultra-Orthodox men.

The leaders of the coalition parties decided unanimously “to dissolve the Knesset and go to new elections at the beginning of April after a four-year term,” the statement from Netanyahu's ruling Likud party said. The national election had been scheduled for November 2019.

The idea for the snap elections was proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the meeting on Monday. The coalition chair David Amsalem responded that it was difficult to pass the military conscription law with the government’s current majority. The fragile coalition has only 61 members out of 120 in the Knesset. “If it's too difficult, we need elections,” the PM said. 

In September 2017, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the existing bill which exempted ultra-Orthodox Jews from being conscripted into the army was unlawful. This year the government was granted several extensions for the complete annulment of the bill. The deadline is set for mid-January 2019.

The news about the dissolution of the Knesset and early elections comes hours after Yesh Atid opposition party chairman Yair Lapid said that his party will vote against the bill. Netanyahu “has surrendered to the ultra-Orthodox because he is afraid of them,” Lapid told his party.

The resignation of Avigdor Lieberman as the defense minister, and pulling his party from the ruling coalition added more uncertainties to the grim future of the Knesset. He also doesn’t support the new law.

Israel has long had a compulsory draft, with men serving in the military for nearly three years and women for two years. However, ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews have traditionally been exempt from military service in the country. They insist that they have always served the society through prayer and study and helped to protect Jewish culture. Haredi is a collective term for groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews who consider themselves the most religiously authentic, and reject modern secular culture.

The legislation was met with fierce opposition among ultra-Orthodox Jews who repeatedly staged protests and clashed with police. Some activists say that they would “rather die than be recruited”.

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