The political arena in Israel is witnessing a rapid escalation of the crisis related to the conscription law, threatening the stability of the ruling coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and increasing the likelihood of early elections.

At the heart of the crisis lies the dispute regarding the exemption of students from religious institutions (Haredim) from military service, a point that is causing rising tension between government components, particularly between the secular parties and their religious partners. The Israeli judiciary is pushing for the cancellation of the exemptions, while Haredi party leaders are demanding the enactment of a law that solidifies them permanently.

According to Hebrew media reports, the Supreme Court has given the government a deadline until the end of June to present a clear plan regarding conscription, which places Netanyahu between the hammer of his Haredi partners and the anvil of the opposition and the Israeli street, especially in light of the rising protests demanding equality in bearing the burdens of service.

In the absence of a consensus within the coalition, speculations are increasing that the government may collapse as the legal deadline approaches, paving the way for early elections that could take place next fall.

Political analysts believe that the conscription issue has become a “ticking political bomb” at the heart of the Israeli political system, and it could represent a decisive moment that redraws the map of alliances and reopens the file on “the identity of the state” between its religious and secular character.