Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (French)

Occupied Jerusalem -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself facing a real danger that threatens to dismantle the government coalition, after moving the “conscription law” draft, which successive governments have been postponing over the past decade, to ensure the Haredi (religious) parties’ continued support for it and avoid its overthrow.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant broke his silence, in light of the expanding debate in Israeli society, calling for the recruitment of Haredi (religious) Jews in light of the war on Gaza, as he announced that he would not allow the introduction of the “recruitment law” aimed at obliging them to military service in the army, without obtaining approval. All parties participating in the government coalition.

Gallant's statements were accompanied by the plan of the two ministers from the "National Camp" coalition, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, which stipulates the recruitment of the Haredim into the army, as they conditioned their support for the government's efforts to extend the period of military service and reserve, on agreeing to gradually increase the number of Israelis who are recruited in the next decade.

Different accounts

Since 2017, successive governments have failed to reach a consensus law requiring the recruitment of Haredim, after the Supreme Court annulled the law that was enacted in 2015 exempting them from military service, and justified this by saying that the exemption violates the “principle of equality.”

Since then, the Knesset has continued to extend the exemption for the Haredim from military service, noting that the validity of the order issued by the government to suspend their compulsory conscription expires at the end of this month.

The Defense Minister's statements carried within them many messages, which are an indication of his gradual rebellion against the government coalition. They also constitute a political threat to Netanyahu, especially since Gallant made these statements without coordination with him, and he was surprised by their content.

Amid the silence of Netanyahu and leaders of the Likud Party, the Minister of the Emergency Government, Gantz, welcomed the Defense Minister’s statements, while the head of the “Jewish Greatness” party, Itamar Ben Gvir, and the head of the “Religious Zionism” coalition, Bezalel Smotrich, declined to comment on the issue, despite their support for the proposal calling for all Israelis to be recruited into the army. .

Analysts unanimously agreed that Gallant's statements amounted to a blow to Netanyahu, as they give Gantz the right to veto if the ultra-Orthodox parties reject the wording of the law proposed by the "National Camp" and reflect the simmering tension and disagreements in the government coalition, and are also an indicator of the postponed clash within Likud.

Analysts estimated that the Haredi blocs represented by the Shas Party, headed by Aryeh Deri, and the Torah Judaism Party, headed by Moshe Gafni, strongly oppose the conscription law, which is expected to be presented to the Knesset and voted on no later than the end of this March, and may threaten to withdraw from the government coalition, which means Going for early parliamentary elections.

Besieged Netanyahu

The political analyst in the Maariv newspaper, Ben Caspit, described Gallant's statements as a "massive explosive device" in the War Council room, noting that they were not ordinary statements. He believes that the Defense Minister turned the hourglass in front of Netanyahu, at the end of which there were only 3 options.

Regarding the available options, the political analyst says:

  • In the first option, the ultra-Orthodox parties may be subject to a recruitment plan that will be agreed upon between Likud, Gantz and Eisenkot.

  • The second is the insistence of the Haredim and their rejection of such a plan, and this will lead to the dismantling of the government and heading to early elections.

  • While the third option is Gantz's surrender.

But the political analyst believes that Gantz will not surrender and will not make any more concessions, especially regarding the compulsory conscription law, saying, "He has already surrendered enough during the emergency government. It seems that there will be no retreat for Gantz either."

He estimated that this step regarding the “upholstery law” was coordinated between Gallant and Gantz, pointing out that the emergency government established a bridge between them, which is what Netanyahu notes, who has become trapped in an explosive political arena, and faces challenges and a problem from which it is difficult to emerge safely.

Disengage galant

With the escalation of tension between Gallant and Netanyahu that has continued since the formation of the government, party affairs analyst for the newspaper "Haaretz", Yossi Verter, went further, as he believes that the Defense Minister's statements are considered an indication of his withdrawal from Netanyahu's government coalition, which consists of 64 members of the Knesset.

The party affairs analyst recalled the night of March 25 last year, when Gallant appeared in front of the cameras and demanded that Netanyahu stop amendments to the judiciary, due to the “clear and immediate danger to the security of the state.” The next day, Netanyahu dismissed him.

He asked, "Will Netanyahu isolate Gallant this time as well?"

It is unlikely that such a step would occur because the matter is different, as the conscription law enjoys the support of the overwhelming majority of Israeli society.

He explained that Gallant appeared in front of the cameras at the peak of viewing time for Israelis, and for a second flashed a “stop sign” in front of the Prime Minister, in reference to the draft evasion law that Netanyahu and his Haredi partners want to pass, and “this is a major national security issue,” as the Defense Minister said.

He pointed out that Gallant, with these statements and positions, chose security over politics.

He said, "Without their approval and without a new law entering into force, the flow of hundreds of millions of shekels per month to ultra-Orthodox educational institutions will stop as of April 1, and this is undoubtedly the most serious threat to the stability of the government coalition since its founding."

The party affairs analyst says, "If Netanyahu could do that, he would have fired Gallant again and replaced him with anyone from Likud who would carry out his requests and accompany him in all his plans. But this time, the Gaza war is still ongoing and the north is burning. This is impossible."

He concluded by saying, "Gallant's statements represent his recent disengagement, even if it was not official, not only from the prime minister whom he does not trust, but also from the government coalition that Netanyahu embraces and flatters."

Source: Al Jazeera