Political experts predicted over the weekend that the Knesset will most likely dissolve in October, a year before the next scheduled election, currently set for Nov. 5, 2019.
Coalition officials told the Hadashot evening news Friday that the growing public protest over recent controversial legislation such as the nation-state law and the amendment to the surrogacy law, coupled with a dispute surrounding the conscription law – a political hot potato in and of itself – are undermining the coalition's stability.
The officials said that most coalition partners, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, believe early elections will be called and will most likely be held in early 2019.
In July, the heads of the coalition factions agreed that unless the High Court approves a delay in amending the conscription law, which regulates the mandatory drafting of ultra-Orthodox men to the military, the Knesset will dissolve and elections would be called for January 2019.
The issue of mandatory military service for the ultra-Orthodox sector has dogged Israeli politics for years. Many in the ultra-Orthodox community believe they should receive a blanket exemption from military conscription, which they see as secondary to Torah study, but secular Israelis, who are subject to a blanket mandatory draft, are outraged by having to shoulder the entire military burden alone, without any contribution from a substantial sector of the population.
United Torah Judaism Chairman Yakov Litzman refuses to compromise on his demand for a full exemption for yeshiva students, and while Shas leader Aryeh Deri has urged Netanyahu to pass the amendment regardless of Litzman's position, the prime minister has insisted that the two ultra-Orthodox parties come up with a solution acceptable to both of them.
Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett and Kulanu head Moshe Kahlon are both in favor of calling early elections in the event that the court orders a vote on the conscription amendment at this time.
Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Lieberman, for his part, said he would not agree to any changes in the draft amendment currently being debated.
