Haredi parties said to back down from demand to pass enlistment law alongside budget

Hebrew media outlets report that the Haredi coalition parties have agreed to make a significant concession that will enable the government to more easily pass the crucial state budget this month, averting a potential crisis for now.

As part of their coalition agreements, Shas and United Torah Judaism were promised that before the budget is approved, the government will pass a highly contentious law regulating exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men from military service, several versions of which have been struck down by the High Court as unconstitutional.

The parties had thus far refused to back down from this demand, with the coalition struggling to find an acceptable formula for the bill that could be approved by the court. This put the coalition in potential peril since it must pass the budget by late May or the government automatically falls.

The reports say Shas and UTJ have agreed to postpone the passage of the enlistment law until after the Knesset’s summer session, which begins today, due to the understanding that the coalition won’t be able to pass it in the coming few months.