Shas vowed to continue advocating for yeshiva students, whom the party describes as “the secret of the spiritual and historical existence of the Jewish people.”
Israel’s Orthodox Shas party announced Thursday that it will resign from all coalition positions it holds in the Knesset, giving up chairmanships of parliamentary committees in protest over the government’s failure to pass a law regulating the conscription of yeshiva students. The party, however, emphasized it will not leave the coalition or bring down the government.
“In accordance with the directive of the Council of Torah Scholars… according to which the government must bring to a vote the law to regulate the status of yeshiva students no later than the opening of the winter session of the Knesset — which, unfortunately, has not yet been implemented — Shas announces its withdrawal from its coalition roles in the Knesset,” the party said in a statement.
The resignations affect several key posts. MK Yossi Taib, chairman of the Education Committee, and MK Yoni Mashriqi, chairman of the Health Committee, submitted their letters to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. MK Michael Malchieli also resigned as chairman of the Committee for Reducing Gaps in the Periphery.
Shas vowed to continue advocating for yeshiva students, whom the party describes as “the secret of the spiritual and historical existence of the Jewish people.” The statement said the party would “continue to lead the struggle against the political and cruel campaign of persecution that is being waged against the students of the holy yeshiva, who meditate on the Torah day and night for the sake of the entire Jewish people and for the success of the soldiers.”
Haredi protesters demonstrating against the IDF draft law blocking roads, September 18, 2025. (credit: YOSSI ZEIGLER)
Shas quits coalition positions over Haredi draft
“When the status of yeshiva students is regulated, Shas will return to its positions in the government and the Knesset. Until then, Shas will act in full coordination with the Haredi factions and will continuously consult with the Council of Torah Scholars regarding its position on votes in the Knesset plenum.”
This move comes months after the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition over a proposed draft law that imposed severe sanctions on draft evaders. While Shas had previously resigned from cabinet positions in July, it had retained its committee chairmanships — a position of significant parliamentary influence.
The development also follows the announcement by MK Boaz Bismuth, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, that all discussions regarding the draft law scheduled for this week were canceled. Bismuth cited the need for additional time to finalize legal advice and said he had consulted with Netanyahu on the matter.
The military began making plans to draft yeshiva students after Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that exemptions for the Haredi community were illegal.
Haredi Orthodox men in Israel are generally exempt from mandatory military service if they study full-time in religious seminaries, known as yeshivot. The issue has long divided Israeli society and remains politically sensitive, especially during wartime. Shas and UTJ insist on preserving these exemptions as a matter of religious principle and community identity.
However, public opposition has grown. After two years of war, many Israelis view the policy as unequal.
Military service is compulsory for all Israeli citizens. However, Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, and the country’s leading rabbis agreed to a status quo that deferred military service for Haredi men studying in yeshivot, or religious institutions. At the time, no more than several hundred men were studying in yeshivot.
The Orthodox community has grown significantly since Israel’s founding. In January 2023, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported that Haredim are Israel’s fastest-growing community and projected that it would constitute 16% of the population by the end of the decade. According to the Israel Democracy Institute, the number of yeshiva students exceeded 138,000 in 2021.
Israel’s next national elections are not due to be held until October 2026.