#Netanyahu’s governing coalition is fracturing. Here’s what it means for #Israel and #Gaza
An Israeli #UltraOrthodox party that has been a key governing partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Tuesday it was leaving the coalition government.
By TIA GOLDENBERG
Updated 1:07 PM EDT, July 15, 2025
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government suffered a serious blow on Tuesday when an ultra-Orthodox party announced it was bolting the coalition.
"While this doesn’t immediately threaten Netanyahu’s rule, it could set in motion his government’s demise, although that could still be months away. It also could complicate efforts to halt the war in Gaza.
"#UnitedTorahJudaism’s two factions said they were leaving the government because of disagreements over a proposed law that would end broad exemptions for religious students from enlistment into the military.
"Military service is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis, and the issue of exemptions has long divided the country. Those rifts have only widened since the start of the war in Gaza as demand for military manpower has grown and hundreds of soldiers have been killed.
"The threat to the government 'looks more serious than ever,' said Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.
"Netanyahu is on trial for alleged #corruption, and critics say he wants to hang on to power so that he can use his office as a bully pulpit to rally supporters and lash out against prosecutors and judges. That makes him all the more vulnerable to the whims of his coalition allies."
Spartacus 
