Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox alliance shows signs of fracture before crucial election

Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox alliance shows signs of fracture before crucial election Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 08/06/2026 - 15:05 Growing dissatisfaction among ultra-Orthodox voters has exposed cracks in Netanyahu's alliance Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest the recent arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, near Bet Lid military prison in Kfar Yona in central Israel on 24 June 2026 (Jack Guez/AFP) Off For nearly three decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has relied on ultra-Orthodox parties as one of the pillars of his political survival. But as Netanyahu gears up to one of his toughest elections in years, his governing alliance is facing unprecedented strain over the long-running dispute about military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. The row has exposed deep divisions within Netanyahu's right-wing bloc and raised questions about whether the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas parties, two of his most dependable allies since he first became prime minister in 1996, could look elsewhere.