Israel's Netanyahu Government Pushes Controversial Bills Before Parliament Recess

Kathmandu. The government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is intensifying efforts to pass controversial bills from parliament to fulfill political commitments made with its coalition partners ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in October in Israel. The opposition has strongly opposed the government's attempt to advance priority laws within a limited timeframe as the parliament (Knesset) is set to adjourn with the end of its summer session in a few days.

There are currently seven important bills on the agenda of the 120-member Knesset. These bills have been put forward as priorities by various parties in the ruling coalition. It is analyzed that Netanyahu wants to strengthen the coalition further by passing these bills and go into the elections on October 27 with a strong political base. However, current opinion polls indicate that it will not be easy for him to return to power.

Public dissatisfaction with the Netanyahu government is growing over the Gaza war that began after Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, and security weaknesses prior to it. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has accused the government of being focused on saving the coalition rather than national interests.

The most controversial bill relates to exempting ultra-Orthodox students involved in religious studies from mandatory military service. Religious parties in the coalition have been warning of withdrawing from the government if this long-standing demand is not met. The bill, approved in its initial stage, provides for recognizing long-term Torah study as an important service to the nation and the Jewish community.

Protests have been ongoing for months against this proposal. Former military chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused the government of misusing the final moments of parliament to pass laws against the army and national interests. He also claimed that his new political party would be capable of forming the next government.

In return for supporting the military service bill, the ultra-Orthodox parties are expected to support a bill to restructure the regulatory framework of the communication sector. Although the government interprets this as a reform to increase competition, the opposition has accused it of an attempt to increase political influence over the media.

The government has also advanced another bill to limit the powers of the Attorney General. Accordingly, it is proposed that the opinions of the government's legal advisors will not be binding.

Similarly, preparations are underway to withdraw the competition-oriented reform introduced by the previous government in the kosher certification system, as per the demands of religious parties. Critics say this will increase the influence of religious institutions and impose financial burdens on consumers.

Although discussions are ongoing in parliamentary committees on some more bills, there is uncertainty about whether all proposals will be passed due to disagreements within the ruling coalition. The Knesset is automatically adjourned with the end of the summer session on July 15, but there is a provision for MPs to extend the session for 12 days to finalize the bills. This will give the Netanyahu government more opportunities to pass its priority laws.