Netanyahu delays departure to Washington, reportedly amid Haredi threats over conscription law

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to Washington, DC, has been delayed until early this evening, which Hebrew-language outlets are reporting is due to an emerging crisis in his coalition as ultra-Orthodox members of his government are demanding to see an updated draft of a controversial bill regulating the military conscription of yeshiva students.

The Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, have threatened to start boycotting all bills in the Knesset plenum starting tomorrow if they are dissatisfied with the updated legislation.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister’s Office told The Times of Israel that the flight, which should have taken off at 4 p.m., had been delayed by at least an hour, and Channel 12 now reports that it is not expected to depart before 6 p.m.

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair Yuli Edelstein is expected to present the Haredim with the updated bill proposal today.

The Prime Minister’s Office denies that the Haredi draft legislation is the reason for the delay, saying that the flight has been pushed back due to a security consultation that the premier is currently participating in.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday before his evening meeting with US President Donald Trump.