The ultra-Orthodox Shas party left Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition July 16,throwing sentiment into a major political crisis over a contested bill that would have exempted a limited number of religious seminary students from military service.
It comes after United Torah Judaism (UTJ) withdrew July 14 for the same reason, agreying to leave Netanyahu with a slim, now a minority, coalition in the 120-member Knesset.
Now that both Shas and UTJ have stepped outside the governing coalition,Netanyahu’s bloc has barely 50 seats, far from a 61-seat majority above the threshold.
While Shas has signaled it might back certain legislation from outside the government, the absence of active partners greatly hampers Netanyahu’s ability to function and advance policy.
Now, timing matters for these exits.The Knesset is set to recess for the summer on July 27, providing Netanyahu a couple of months to deal and secure legislative backing from former coalition partners before it reconvenes in the fall.
