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Haredi Bloc Trades Daycare Bill for Religious Laws, Election Push

6/23/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni agreed to trade Haredi support for religious bills before the Knesset dissolves.
A coalition meeting was cancelled after ultra-Orthodox parties refused to attend, prompting a push for early elections.
The Haredi bloc dropped the daycare-subsidy bill to win the Torah Study law, a draft-evader arrest shield, a kashrut bill, and pledged to split the attorney general’s role and launch an Oct. 7 massacre inquiry.

History

Historical Context

The 1977 Mahapach—Likud’s victory under Menachem Begin—ended the Israeli Labor Party’s long-standing dominance and spurred greater influence of Haredi and Religious Zionist parties, while mobilizing Mizrahi voters. That precedent of religious blocs as kingmakers echoes today as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiates with the National Religious Party and Shas to secure coalition support.

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Story summary

Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni agreed to trade Haredi support for religious bills before the Knesset dissolves.
A coalition meeting was cancelled after ultra-Orthodox parties refused to attend, prompting a push for early elections.
The Haredi bloc dropped the daycare-subsidy bill to win the Torah Study law, a draft-evader arrest shield, a kashrut bill, and pledged to split the attorney general’s role and launch an Oct. 7 massacre inquiry.

1 / 2