'Democracy' at work
Netanyahu holds talks as election fears grow: Report
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stepped up political consultations as he prepares for possible national elections later this year, Israeli news site Ynet reported.
Quoting unnamed political sources close to the premier, Ynet said Netanyahu is seeking ways to hold together his bloc should his coalition collapse when the Knesset returns from recess in October.
Discussions reportedly focused on convincing Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism, and Avi Maoz’s Noam party to run together, as they did in 2022.
Netanyahu has also considered launching a satellite party to draw right-wing voters reluctant to back his Likud or its partners, Ynet reported.
Talks also touched on merging Likud with Gideon Saar’s New Hope, announced last week, and maintaining Netanyahu’s control over Likud’s internal structures.
Israeli army considering recruiting from abroad amid soldier shortage
Israel’s military is weighing a plan to enlist young Jewish people from abroad to offset what officials describe as a severe shortage of soldiers, Army Radio has reported.
The move comes as the military struggles with a shortfall of 10,000 to 12,000 troops, driven largely by the refusal of ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim, to serve.
Haredim, who account for about 13 percent of Israel’s population of 10 million, reject compulsory service, saying they dedicate their lives to Torah study and warning that integration into secular society would erode their religious identity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bid to advance legislation granting blanket exemptions for Haredim has drawn resistance from the coalition and opposition lawmakers alike, with critics denouncing the plan as discriminatory.
According to the Army Radio, the military intends to target major Jewish communities abroad for recruitment, particularly in the United States and France, with the aim of adding about 700 recruits each year.
The shortage has compounded wider problems for Israel’s armed forces, including equipment deficits and a reserve system strained by months of fighting in Gaza. Many reservists have reported psychological issues and exhaustion linked to the war.
