Likud said to warn draft law feud could herald fresh elections

Senior officials in the ruling Likud party warn coalition infighting over legislation exempting ultra-Orthodox students from military service could lead to the government’s collapse and bring fresh elections, Hadashot TV news reports.

“The Haredim are very high up a tree, very much increasing the chance of elections,” the network quotes the officials as saying.

Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have threatened to veto the 2019 state budget if the military draft bills aren’t passed, which would lead to the government’s collapse. The legislation is vociferously opposed by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party.

Amid the threats to the government’s stability, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed Wednesday to set up a committee made up of representatives from all six coalition parties to formulate a bill.