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 faction stated that Lando had informed its 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 statement added.
The Degel Hatorah confirmation came after it was reported that United Torah Judaism – the haredi party of which Degel Hatorah is a faction – threatened to immediately move to dissolve the Knesset after 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, leading Gafni to refuse calls from the prime minister.
Gafni’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from The Jerusalem Post 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 Betenyu, and the Democrats subsequently stated that they were in favor of bringing a bill to disperse the Knesset next week.
Yesh Atid said that the bill to dissolve the Knesset has been formally submitted to the Knesset and will be placed on the Knesset agenda next week.
Yisrael Betenyu added that it was bringing the bill “with the aim of triggering early elections and replacing 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 as early as 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.
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.
Highly controversial haredi draft bill
The haredi draft bill advanced in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee 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.