JERUSALEM (VINnews) – The Jerusalem Post reported that an influential haredi spiritual leader has given his backing to efforts aimed at dissolving Israel’s Knesset amid growing tensions over the country’s controversial military draft bill.

Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah faction, instructed lawmakers to work toward dissolving parliament “as soon as possible,” according to the report published Tuesday.

Lando reportedly told party members that trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had broken down, signaling a dramatic escalation in the coalition crisis surrounding legislation dealing with military conscription exemptions for yeshiva students.

The dispute has become one of the most divisive issues facing Netanyahu’s coalition, as critics argue the proposed legislation would fail to significantly increase ultra-Orthodox enlistment despite mounting manpower shortages within the Israeli military during the ongoing war.

According to the report, opposition parties quickly moved to capitalize on the coalition turmoil. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for preparations to dissolve the Knesset, while opposition lawmakers submitted legislation that could trigger early elections.

The report also said tensions intensified after Netanyahu informed haredi party representatives there was no coalition majority to pass the draft bill in its current form, fueling anger among ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, including Degel Hatorah chairman Moshe Gafni.

Despite the growing political crisis, some coalition allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, urged coalition partners not to bring down the government during wartime.