The coalition's planned evening meeting to agree on a Knesset dissolution date is in disarray after UTJ chair Moshe Gafni said his party no longer considers itself part of the coalition and will not attend. Shas has yet to decide, leaving PM Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben Gvir as the only likely participants, according to a report from C14.
Prime Minister Netanyahu convened coalition party heads for this evening's meeting intended to reach an agreement on a date for dissolving the Knesset, but the gathering is unraveling before it begins. According to a report from C14, United Torah Judaism chair Moshe Gafni stated he will not attend because, in his view, UTJ is no longer part of the coalition — a position consistent with earlier statements from UTJ lawmakers that the Haredi faction has effectively left the governing alliance. Shas has not yet made a final decision on participation, raising the possibility that the meeting will take place with only the prime minister, Religious Zionism chair Smotrich, and Otzma Yehudit chair Ben Gvir present.
The crisis in the coalition has been deepening over the past two weeks, triggered by disagreements on legislation and the budget. As The Zioneer reported earlier this morning (07:26), Netanyahu initially planned the meeting to discuss a dissolution timetable alongside remaining bills including the Basic Law: Government and the anti-deserter arrest freeze law. The Haredi parties’ absence, if it holds, effectively prevents any substantive agreement on elections since neither UTJ nor Shas — holding a combined 18 Knesset seats — can be bypassed without either their support or a full no-confidence vote.
What remains unclear is whether Shas chairman Aryeh Deri will ultimately attend or align with Gafni's boycott. Also pending is the fate of stalled coalition legislation that the Haredi factions have been demanding as a condition for backing election dates. An empty chair at tonight's meeting would signal the effective end of the current coalition's ability to function on its own.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake