Israel’s political crisis escalated sharply as Degel HaTorah announced it will move swiftly to dissolve the Knesset, following a decisive directive from Rav Dov Landau. The move comes amid the ongoing deadlock over the draft law and marks a significant break within the right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The decision followed a series of last-minute efforts by Netanyahu to halt the chareidi push for new elections, along with outreach by Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth, who held discussions with chareidi lawmakers in an attempt to reach a compromise. Despite those efforts, a firm ruling was issued at Rav Landau’s home instructing Degel HaTorah representatives to act immediately to dissolve the Knesset.

Degel HaTorah MKs presented Rav Landau with a detailed overview of the current political stalemate, focusing on the impasse surrounding the draft law and claims that the coalition lacks the votes needed to pass it. Sources close to Rav Landau emphasized that, contrary to some reports, there is full unity and coordination between Degel HaTorah and Shas regarding how to proceed on matters affecting the status of yeshiva students.

At the conclusion of the consultation, Rav Landau instructed the party’s representatives to take a hard line toward the prime minister. “We no longer have trust in Netanyahu.” He added that from this point forward, the party would act only based on what is best for the chareidi public and the yeshiva world, calling for immediate steps to dissolve the Knesset and declaring that the concept of a political “bloc” no longer exists from their perspective.

Rav Landau also issued a written letter to Degel HaTorah lawmakers stating: “To the honorable chareidi members of Knesset of Degel HaTorah, may they live long. You have gone above and beyond in faithfully carrying out your mission. We have no trust in the prime minister; we no longer feel that we are his partners. We are not bound to him. From here on, we will do only what we believe is good for chareidi Jewry, and in our view, elections should be held as soon as possible. All talk of a bloc no longer exists.”

The directive from Rav Landau significantly reshapes the political landscape. In recent hours, Netanyahu had been working to persuade chareidi leaders not to rush toward dissolving the Knesset, even sending a message from the courtroom where he was attending proceedings.

“Do not rush to dissolve the Knesset. It is possible to pass the draft law if we act to reduce the rebels within the coalition.”

Alongside Netanyahu’s efforts, Bismuth also attempted to reach understandings with chareidi MKs in an effort to prevent the collapse of the government. However, the message emerging from Rav Landau’s home sharply limits Likud’s ability to maneuver and moves the crisis into a more decisive phase.

Since earlier in the day, Degel HaTorah has adopted an especially firm tone. Party officials said that “the time for talk is over” and made clear that without passage of the draft law, they see no reason to remain in the coalition. They indicated plans to disrupt legislative proceedings in order to accelerate the dissolution of the Knesset and bring about new elections.

At the same time, it was reported that Netanyahu and his advisers attempted to arrange a meeting with Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni to discuss the draft law, but Gafni declined to meet throughout the day. Later, Uri Maklev was summoned for talks with the prime minister, during which Netanyahu reportedly clarified that advancing the draft law at this stage is not appropriate and that it would be better addressed only after elections.

Last week, Netanyahu had already asked senior chareidi party officials to remove the draft law from the immediate agenda and delay it until after elections. According to his position, there is no majority in the Knesset to pass the law before elections, and given the current security situation, it should not be prioritized.

Netanyahu’s view is that the law would be more effectively advanced after elections, during coalition negotiations, when agreements could be reached as part of forming a government. However, Degel HaTorah’s stance—now reinforced by Rav Landau’s directive—is the opposite: no more delays and no more reliance on promises.

As a result, a vote on dissolving the Knesset is expected to take place next week. A bill submitted by the Yesh Atid faction has already been placed on the Knesset table and is likely to be scheduled for discussion. According to Amit Segal, the preliminary vote is expected on May 20.

If the proposal passes its initial reading, it will move to the Knesset Committee, which will determine the next steps in the legislative process and set a date for elections. At this point, the likelihood of elections being held in September has increased significantly, although Netanyahu still retains the ability to delay the process if he chooses.

However, the issue is no longer merely technical. After Rav Landau made clear that the concept of a unified bloc is no longer relevant, Netanyahu now faces a critical decision: attempt to buy time even at the cost of escalating tensions with the chareidi parties, or enter into urgent negotiations in a final effort to prevent the dissolution of the Knesset.

Political analyst Yaron Avraham assessed that each side will now try to shape its narrative. Netanyahu is expected to argue that he did not abandon efforts to pass a meaningful draft law, while the chareidi parties will insist that they have not and will not compromise on the Torah world. In practice, following Rav Landau’s directive, the crisis has moved beyond a dispute over the wording of the law and has become a deep crisis of trust between Degel HaTorah and Netanyahu, with a clear objective: dissolving the Knesset as soon as possible.

{Matzav.com}