JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A deal has been reached between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties aimed at preserving the governing coalition and advancing legislation related to military conscription exemptions for yeshiva students.

According to Israeli journalist Amit Segal, the agreement includes moving forward with the legislation sought by ultra-Orthodox parties, while setting national elections for Oct. 20.

The development came after Shas chairman Rabbi Aryeh Deri and United Torah Judaism chairman MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni met with Netanyahu and delivered what they described as a firm demand from Israel’s leading rabbis to immediately advance legislation protecting Torah students and preventing the arrest of yeshiva students over military draft issues.

In a joint statement, Deri and Gafni said they called for the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the Knesset Committee to convene this week to advance the measures.

The two leaders warned that without concrete action, their parties would support dissolving the Knesset as early as next week, a move that could have triggered early elections.

According to the statement, Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to passing the legislation and pledged to work toward its rapid advancement.

The agreement appears to have eased immediate tensions within Netanyahu’s coalition, which has faced growing pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties over military service requirements for yeshiva students.