Haredi parties halt coalition voting over daycare bill pulled from Knesset agenda

Ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism have halted their participation in coalition legislative voting, citing the failure to place a controversial daycare subsidies bill on the Knesset's agenda. The parties announced they would not vote on coalition-sponsored legislation until the bill, which they have championed, is scheduled. The plenum's schedule shortly after their announcement confirmed no coalition legislation was listed.

The daycare bill seeks to alter eligibility criteria for state-funded subsidies, basing them solely on a mother's income. Critics contend this move will effectively subsidize parents of individuals evading mandatory military service, a significant concern given the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) severe manpower shortages, particularly during ongoing conflicts. The haredi parties have consistently pushed for legislation that exempts yeshiva students from military service, a stance that clashes with the IDF's urgent calls for increased enlistment.

This latest action by the haredi parties is not unprecedented. Last week, Shas similarly threatened to halt coalition voting if another contentious bill, aimed at enshrining Torah Study in the country's Basic Law, was not advanced. That legislation, which seeks to grant continued state benefits to yeshiva students who do not serve in the military, eventually passed its preliminary reading with government backing.

The coalition reportedly lacked a majority to pass the daycare subsidies bill in its first reading on Monday, with several lawmakers, including some from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, vowing to vote against it. The political maneuvering underscores the fragile nature of Netanyahu's coalition government, which relies on the support of haredi parties for its majority, while facing internal dissent over issues central to the ultra-Orthodox agenda.

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We have just informed the coalition chairman that, due to the failure to place the Daycare Bill on the Knesset agenda, we will not vote today in favor of coalition-sponsored legislation in the Knesset plenum.