ISRAEL – Disputes have intensified in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition over a law exempting mandatory Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox Jews) military service, according to local media reports.

The daily Yedioth Ahronoth, citing sources, said Netanyahu has spent recent days managing what it described as a “containment battle” to maintain his coalition unity as long as possible before the next elections.

The legislative elections in Israeli are officially scheduled for late October 2026 unless early polls are called.

According to the sources, the premier is busy offering assurances to Aryeh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, to keep him in the ruling coalition. Netanyahu is also seeking to soften the stance of Moshe Gafni, leader of the Degel HaTorah Party, over the Haredi draft exemption law.

The prime minister, meanwhile, is pressing far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to move forward with preparing the 2026 state budget.

Ultra-Orthodox parties have long pushed for legislation to exempt Haredi men from Israel’s compulsory military service, a stance that faces growing opposition from several factions within the government and the broader public.

According to Israeli law, the government has to pass the general budget in the Knesset by the end of March to prevent early elections.

Religious parties condition the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews to vote in favor of the budget, which can’t be approved without their votes.

Netanyahu’s governing coalition needs at least 61 in the Knesset to remain in power.

According to the newspaper, threats by the Haredi parties to withhold support for the budget unless the exemption law passes have exposed the coalition’s fragility and underscored that its survival is now “borrowed time.”

Political assessments indicate that Israel’s political system has effectively entered an election campaign phase, the sources said.

The sources added that while Netanyahu prefers to delay elections until September, he has asked his aides to prepare for the possibility of early elections as soon as June if coalition disputes cannot be contained.

Analysts cited by Yedioth Ahronoth said the Haredi draft exemption has become the central fault line threatening the government’s survival.

Netanyahu fears that passing any version of the law could weaken his electoral base, while Haredi parties believe early elections would leave them with diminished bargaining power, according to the analysts.

The daily said that whether or not the Knesset is dissolved in the coming months, Israel’s political landscape is heading toward an intense election period, with growing difficulty in maintaining coalition stability.

On Sunday, clashes broke out between Israeli police and Haredi protesters opposing military service outside a recruitment office in west Jerusalem.

The clashes were part of broader protests led by Haredi groups against conscription since a 2024 Supreme Court ruling mandated their military service and barred financial aid to religious institutions whose students refuse to enlist.

Haredi make up about 13% of Israel’s population of roughly 10 million.

They oppose military service, citing their devotion to Torah study and fears that integration into secular society would threaten their religious identity.

For decades, Haredi men avoided conscription at age 18 by securing repeated deferrals for religious studies until reaching the current exemption age of 26.

Criticism of Netanyahu’s government has intensified over the exemptions, as Israel’s military faces manpower shortages amid multiple regional conflicts, including the war in Gaza that began in October 2023, as well as hostilities involving Lebanon, Iran, Syria and Yemen.