Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of the haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) Degel HaTorah faction, gave the green light to work toward dissolving the Knesset over the haredi conscription bill, Lando’s office confirmed on Tuesday.
The confirmation came after it was reported that United Torah Judaism threatened to immediately move to dissolve the Knesset, triggering early elections, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed party representatives that there is no coalition majority to pass the controversial haredi conscription bill, according to a Tuesday KAN News report.
Degel HaTorah is one of the factions within United Torah Judaism.
The report added that the announcement sparked a crisis between Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni and Netanyahu’s office, prompting Gafni to refuse calls from the prime minister.
Gafni’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from the Post.
Lando’s office later stated that lawmakers within Degel Hatorah were meeting with the spiritual leader in the afternoon.
The tensions come as the Knesset opened its summer session on Sunday following its recess. The session is expected to be the government’s last before elections, which are currently scheduled to take place no later than October.
Throughout the Knesset’s previous winter session, the haredi parties – United Torah Judaism and Shas – repeatedly threatened to vote against the state budget over the haredi draft issue, which could have triggered early elections, though they ultimately refrained from doing so.
The haredi draft bill that has been advanced in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is highly controversial. Critics argue the legislation is primarily intended for Netanyahu to appease the haredi parties in his coalition and would not increase enlistment.
Several coalition lawmakers have stated that they oppose the current outline of the bill for that reason and will vote against it.
Meanwhile, the IDF has repeatedly warned that it is facing an urgent manpower shortage, especially after more than two years of war.
Opposition lawmakers have also spoken on dissolving the Knesset at the beginning of its summer session, leading to elections before October.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Monday for preparations to begin to dissolve the Knesset already next week, during a faction meeting at the Knesset.
“After three and a half years of pain and division and disasters and governmental decay, let’s not drag through another entire summer of corruption and hatred among brothers. Let’s dissolve the Knesset as early as next week,” Lapid said.