The Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Shas party has announced that it is quitting the Benjamin Netanyahu-led coalition government.
Israeli media reports said that the Shas party quit the government in protest against lawmakers’ failure to guarantee future exemption from military conscription for religious students.
The Shas party’s leaving the coalition government has left the Netanyahu government lurching, as it would be difficult for him to lead a minority government, while he is already dealing with multiple protests at home. The departure of Shas comes one day after another ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), resigned from the government over the same issue.
Ultra-Orthodox seminary students have long been exempted from mandatory military service.
Last year, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered an end to the exemption. Parliament has been trying to work out a new conscription bill, which has so far failed to meet the demands of both Shas and UTJ.
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