Second Ultra-Orthodox Party QUITS Netanyahu Government — Coalition Crumbles Over Draft Law
JERUSALEM, July 17, 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition suffered a massive blow Wednesday as the influential ultra-Orthodox Shas party announced its withdrawal, according to multiple Israeli media outlets cited by Reuters.
This dramatic exit comes just days after another key religious ally, United Torah Judaism (Yahadut HaTorah), also left the government. Both parties abandoned ship over the same critical issue: fierce disagreements surrounding military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students.
The simultaneous departure of these two major coalition partners critically weakens Netanyahu’s hold on power. His government now loses its stable parliamentary majority, plunging Israel into renewed political uncertainty and raising immediate questions about the government’s survival and ability to function effectively.
The dispute over drafting the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) has long been a volatile political and social fault line in Israel. The resignations signal an irreparable fracture within Netanyahu’s core support base over this deeply contentious issue, bringing the government to the brink of collapse.