As the Knesset prepares to dissolve in the coming days — four months ahead of national elections — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is hurriedly advancing a slate of bills, facing sharp criticism from opposition parties.
Seven distinct pieces of legislation currently occupy the Knesset’s 120‑seat agenda, each representing a priority for one or more parties within Netanyahu’s coalition.
Through these political concessions, Netanyahu aims to reinforce his alliances and enter the late‑October election with a stronger footing, even as polls indicate a possible difficulty in securing another term.
The veteran leader, who has served for nearly two decades across multiple terms, confronts public anger over a series of failures — most notably those that enabled Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack, which sparked the Gaza war.
“While they focus on coalition survival, we are fighting for the nation and the interests of Israel’s citizens,” opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X.
The most contentious bill proposes exemptions from mandatory military service for students engaged in religious studies — a long‑standing demand of ultra‑orthodox parties that have previously threatened to withdraw support from the government if such exemptions are not granted.
Approved in a preliminary reading in June, the bill declares that “the State of Israel shall recognize individuals who commit to long‑term Torah study as rendering meaningful service to the State and the Jewish people.”
For months, the proposed “Basic Law: Torah Study” has drawn large numbers of Israelis into the streets and intensified debate on political television programs.
“The government is exploiting the final days of the Knesset’s session to pass laws that target the army,” Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who has emerged as Netanyahu’s main rival in the upcoming election, wrote on X.
He argued that only his newly formed party, Yashar (Straight), is capable of forming the next government.
Legislative Marathon
Eisenkot described the legislative marathon as focused solely on enacting laws that would become impossible once his party assumes power.
In exchange for supporting the military exemption bill, legislators from the two ultra‑orthodox parties are expected to endorse legislation proposed by Netanyahu’s Likud party, including a reform of the broadcasting sector that seeks to overhaul the regulatory framework governing television, radio, and streaming platforms.
Officials present the reform as a measure to open the market to competition, but critics condemn it as an effort to exert political control over the media, undermine news organisations’ independence, and grant economic benefits to outlets perceived as aligned with the government.
Another proposal seeks to modify the status of the state attorney general, who simultaneously serves as the government’s legal adviser.
Likud aims to weaken the attorney general’s position — currently held by his outspoken critic Gali Baharav‑Miara — by stipulating that the adviser’s opinions would no longer be binding on the government.
Opposition figures accuse the government of seeking to eliminate an independent check on its power and of politicising criminal prosecutions.
At the urging of religious parties, the government intends to repeal a previous reform that ended the religious authority’s monopoly over kosher certification by opening the sector to competition.
Critics again argue that the measure appears tailored to the demands of ultra‑orthodox parties — especially Shas — seeking to protect institutional interests at the expense of consumers.
The original kosher reform was projected to lower costs for restaurant owners.
Further bills remain under debate in parliamentary committees; however, heated disagreements — including within the governing coalition — pose challenges to passing all measures before the legislative term concludes.
The Knesset is scheduled to dissolve automatically on July 15, ending the summer session, while parliamentary elections are set for no later than October 27.
Nonetheless, lawmakers may extend the session by up to 12 days to complete pending legislative work, providing Netanyahu and his allies additional time to secure passage of the bills.