As election fever grips Israel, the governing coalition is still working on a deal to stave off its collapse due to disagreements over a contentious bill to exempt ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, men from serving in the army. Following late-night meetings between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners, the Ministerial Committee on Legislation early Monday approved a draft of the bill, which according to a compromise reached will also be passed in a preliminary reading in parliament before its spring recess. The bill thereafter will require the approval of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who is believed to be of the opinion that the proposal does not yet meet the necessary legal standards and thus needs to be amended moving forward. In its current form, the legislation sets binding annual targets for Haredi enlistment that would be reviewed at least every other year. Should the marks not be met, the prospective law would be voided and ultra-Orthodox men would be required to enter the army at the age of eighteen, although, in such an eventuality, parliament would be given a one-year window to legislate a new exemption law. In exchange, the Haredi coalition parties, which also includes Shas, have agreed to backtrack on a threat to vote against the 2019 state budget, slated to be presented to parliament later this week, a move that would have brought down the government. Netanyahu was scheduled to meet Monday afternoon with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, whose secular Yisrael Beytenu party vehemently opposes blanket Haredi military exemptions, in a bid to finalize a resolution to the dispute. To date, Liberman has vowed only to support a related bill being written up by his ministry, which he regards as the sole authority over the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription. If no agreement is forged, parliament is expected to dissolve itself on Wednesday and set national elections for as early as June 26, the date preferred by Leader of the Opposition Avi Gabbay and Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, whose party currently is polling right behind Netanyahu’s Likud.
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