Top rabbis from the Shas party have sharply criticized both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and party leader Arye Deri over the failure to pass legislation exempting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from military service. In leaked recordings, members of the Council of Torah Sages expressed frustration with the lack of progress, called for new elections, and threatened to boycott future coalitions if their demands were not met. The rabbis accused Netanyahu of being untrustworthy and blamed Deri for remaining in the coalition without securing the desired law. Shas has since withdrawn from its coalition roles in protest, though the party has not yet moved to force early elections.

The government is hoping a new draft bill, outlined by Boaz Bismuth, will address the issue and bring Shas back into the coalition, but deep divisions remain. The proposed legislation would gradually increase conscription among ultra-Orthodox men, with financial penalties for yeshivas failing to meet quotas. Meanwhile, opposition bills to penalize draft evaders were voted down, and internal tensions within Shas and the broader coalition continue to threaten political stability.