From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 9, 2026
Coalition whip says ultra-Orthodox parties will vote in favor of key adjustment to passage of state budget
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
“Despite differences in opinion, the ultra-Orthodox Shas and Degel HaTorah parties “will vote in favor of splitting the Arrangements Law this evening,” announces coalition whip Ofir Katz (Likud).
In a statement, Katz adds that “talks will continue until a solution is reached,” an apparent reference to disagreements over the text of the coalition bill regulating ultra-Orthodox enlistment, whose advancement is the Haredi parties’ condition for supporting the 2026 state budget.
The Arrangements Law, a key part of the annual budgetary legislative package, determines how funds will be disbursed and must be passed along with the budget to avoid triggering early elections.
Haredi parties have threatened to torpedo a technical vote that will allow the measure to speed ahead as leverage for legislation on IDF draft exemptions.
The Times of Israel Community.