Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday repeatedly urged his feuding coalition partners to remain in the government, despite speculations he was seeking early elections to help him survive corruption allegations.
The latest coalition crisis was sparked by Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism's threat to stall the vote on the state budget unless their amendment to Israel's Defense Service Law, seeking to legally anchor exemptions afforded to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, is passed.
The issue, which has dogged Israeli politics for years, revolves around Israel's mandatory military draft, which many in the ultra-Orthodox community believe should be secondary to Torah study. Secular Israelis, however, are opposed to shouldering the burden without the contribution of a substantial Israeli sector.
While it seemed that a compromise had been brokered with United Torah Judaism on the issue on Sunday, the Yisrael Beytenu party, which opposes the bill, has emerged as the holdout to resolving the crisis, fueling speculations that early elections are just around the corner.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on Tuesday called on Netanyahu to avoid early elections, tweeting, "The coalition crisis is not real. This would topple a right-wing government over noting and it will be a historic mistake."
Dudi Vaaknin- Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked
Opposition lawmakers have suggested Netanyahu was not committed to resolving the issue and might actually prefer to let the government unravel.
Speaking at a special parliament session called over the coalition crisis, Netanyahu said he wanted to keep his current six-party coalition intact.
"I do not think we had to get to this point. We have an excellent government that carries out its duties responsibly, with the proper discretion and with stability. This is a government that marks great achievements for Israel," he said.
"I call on all the coalition partners, and chief among them [Yisrael Beytenu leader] Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, to remain in the government and continue this partnership in order to ensure security, prosperity and stability for Israel."
The prime minister urged the coalition partners to act responsibly, saying, "The country needs a solid, stable government. It needs our government and if we are to continue marking achievements, we have to continue together.
Should there be an election, we will run and we will win. But we are not there yet. The hour is late, but not too late. We have to make an effort – a supreme effort – to preserve the government in its current composition."
Addressing the opposition, the prime minister said, "Apparently you also understand that something amazing is happening here. I was sure that given this crisis, you would present a bill calling for the dissolution of the Knesset, but that hasn't happened.
"I have not seen anything like this – an opposition that wants the government to continue to serve because it is afraid of elections. That's why you also know that your statements are worthless. You know that if elections are held, the public will give us a larger mandate."
Immediately after the parliament session ended, opposition parties Yesh Atid and Meretz sent a letter to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, asking him to schedule a vote on the dissolution of the Knesset.
The next election is not due until November 2019. Under Israeli law, if parliament is dissolved, early elections must take place within three months, in which case the next elections could take place in June.
Dudi Vaaknin- Yisrael Beytenu leader Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman
Lieberman reiterated Monday that his party will oppose the conscription bill, saying that if the controversial legislated passes, his party, which has five of the coalition's 66 seats in the 120-member parliament, would exit the coalition.
"As long as it [the bill] has not gone through second and third readings we will fight from within [the government]. The moment it passes the second and third readings, we will draw our own conclusions," Lieberman said of the bill.
Netanyahu was repeatedly heckled by opposition members during the session.
"You're appealing to your coalition partners but they're not here," Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) said. "They don't believe in you because they know the only thing you're interested in is circumventing the attorney general. Everything else is an act."
Herzog was referring to growing speculations by political commentators saying that the coalition crisis could be used by Netanyahu to call for early elections and shore up public support before Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit decides whether to accept police recommendations to indict him in two graft cases.
"We're not suckers. We're not afraid of elections – we're afraid of what you are doing to this country, to democracy and to the rule of law," Herzog asserted.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said, "The police, the State Attorney's Office, the courts, the State Comptroller's Office and the media – all the elements you say cannot be trusted – they have no reason to 'come after you.' They are just doing their job."
While some coalition insiders said the Knesset's readings on the conscription bill could be months away, affording more time to find a solution, others hedged that Netanyahu is gearing up for the possibility that elections will take place in June.
Gideon Markovich- Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay
Recent opinion polls have shown strong backing for the Likud party, even as Netanyahu faces criminal charges.
A poll held by Hadashot evening news Monday gave Likud 30 Knesset seats, followed by Yesh Atid (32), Zionist Union (13), Joint Arab List (12), Meretz (7), Kulanu (6) and Shas and Yisrael Beytenu with four seats each.
The poll predicted that the new party formed by former Yisrael Beytenu MK Orly Levy-Abekasis, which has yet to be named, is likely to win five Knesset seats.
Asked who they believed was best suited to be the prime minister, 36% of those polled named Netanyahu, followed by Lapid (12%) Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay (8%) and Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett (6%).
A poll held by Channel 10 News showed that if elections were held at this time, Likud would win 29 mandates, followed by Yesh Atid (24), Joint Arab List (13), Habayit Hayehudi and Zionist Union (11 seats each), Meretz (9), Shas (5), and Kulanu, Yisrael Beytenu and United Torah Judaism with six seats each.
There has also been growing speculation within Zionist Union, a faction that comprises the Labor and Hatnuah parties, about whether Gabbay, who since his election in July 2017 has emerged as a polarizing figure, can lead the Zionist Union. Labor sources told Israel Hayom that calls within the party to replace him were growing louder.
