Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Degel Hatorah faction, gave a green light on Tuesday to work toward dissolving the Knesset “as soon as possible” over the haredi conscription bill, in a move that could cause early elections ahead of October.
The opposition has pushed to bring the bill to dissolve the Knesset to the plenum as early as Wednesday, though it is expected to be brought for a vote next week.
Lando had written in a letter to Degel Hatorah Knesset members that “We no longer have trust in [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu.
“From this point onward, we will do only what is good for haredi Judaism and the yeshiva world.”
“Steps must be taken to dissolve the Knesset as soon as possible. All kinds of talk about a ‘bloc’ no longer exist,” the letter added.
Lando’s letter came after it was reported that United Torah Judaism, the haredi party in which Degel Hatorah is a faction, threatened to immediately move to dissolve the Knesset 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.
The report added that the announcement led to a crisis between Degel Hatorah chairman Moshe Gafni and Netanyahu’s office, causing Gafni to refuse calls from the prime minister.
Gafni’s spokesperson did not respond to The Jerusalem Post’s request to comment on the report.
United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni at a Knesset meeting on April 29, 2026. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Opposition parties Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, the Democrats, and Ra’am subsequently stated that they were in favor of bringing a bill to disperse the Knesset.
Yesh Atid said that the bill to dissolve the Knesset has been formally submitted to the Knesset and will be placed on its agenda next week.
Opposition coordinator MK Merav Ben-Ari (Yesh Atid) then penned a letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, requesting a special meeting to consider advancing the dissolution bill on Wednesday, rather than waiting with it until next week.
Yisrael Beytenu added that it was bringing the dissolution bill “intending to trigger early elections and replace the government of the October 7 massacre, the most failed government in the country’s history.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid had called on Monday for preparations to begin to dissolve the Knesset 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.
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.
There were reports last week that the haredi parties were seeking to move the election date up to September, ahead of the Jewish high holidays, and that Netanyahu opposed the change, aiming instead for the elections to remain in October.
If the Knesset is dissolved, elections could ultimately be moved up to September, though it remains unclear how significant the change in the election date would be.
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.
Highly controversial haredi draft bill
The haredi draft bill advanced in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) is highly controversial. Critics argue that the legislation is primarily intended to appease the haredi parties in Netanyahu’s coalition and would not increase enlistment.
Several coalition lawmakers have stated that they oppose the bill’s current outline for that reason and will vote against it.
Meanwhile, the IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage, especially after more than two years of war.
Chairperson of the FADC MK Boaz Bismuth (Likud), who has been leading the advancements on the draft bill, pushed to move forward with it and not dissolve the Knesset or break up the coalition.
He said he “worked side by side with the haredim [to develop the bill]. I see them as partners on the path.
“I call on them not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, not to give a gift to Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, to the opposition, and to all those who stir up conflict.”
“The law is ready and can be advanced as early as tomorrow,” he added.
Bismuth also noted that there was “one leader steering the ship,” and that the authority and last word belong solely to Netanyahu.
“I will continue to be in full coordination with him [Netanyahu], and I have no doubt he will make the right decision,” he said.
The Otzma Yehudit party, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also called for the coalition not to break up, stating that it demands that “the parties of the national camp act responsibly and not bring down the government. This government still has several tasks to carry out.”