Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting now with Shas leader Aryeh Deri and UTJ chairman Moshe Gafni, after tonight's scheduled coalition heads meeting was canceled. A Haredi source tells Israeli media the two sides are testing whether the legislation the parties want can be advanced — or the Knesset will be dissolved immediately.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting now with Shas leader Aryeh Deri and UTJ chairman Moshe Gafni, after tonight's scheduled coalition heads meeting was canceled earlier today. A Haredi source tells Israeli media the talks are testing whether the coalition can advance the party-specific legislation the Haredi parties demand — primarily the Basic Law: Torah Study and a bill preventing arrest of draft evaders — or whether immediate Knesset dissolution will follow.
As The Zioneer reported at 17:04, Netanyahu had been meeting with Deri and Gafni without coalition partners Smotrich and Ben Gvir to discuss a dissolution date and advancing the two bills. The cancellation of the broader coalition heads meeting at 13:13 marked a breakdown of the planned broader discussion, pushing the process back to bilateral talks with the Haredi leaders.
The meeting follows mounting Haredi pressure over the weekend, with coalition seniors warning Netanyahu that delaying the legislation erodes his position, as The Zioneer reported on Saturday. The fate of the coalition now hinges on whether the legislation can secure a majority — or whether the Knesset will be dissolved in the coming days.
What remains open: whether the Haredi parties' demands will be met or the coalition will push for immediate dissolution. The meeting is ongoing, and no decision has been announced.
6 developments
- DevelopingDeri and Gafni issue new ultimatum: advance Haredi bills this week or back Knesset dissolution
- StrongCoalition heads meeting scheduled for tonight canceled
- DevelopingDeri tells PM he will not attend today's meeting; its fate in doubt
- DevelopingUTJ official warns Deri is 'selling stories' to Netanyahu as daycare bill stalls
Source and signal
- Internal intake