The spiritual leader of Israel’s religious Shas party, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing governing coalition, threatened to abandon support for Netanyahu following the next Israeli election in favor of backing former military chief Gadi Eisenkot for the premiership. The threat, reported in a leaked recording aired by Israeli army radio on Sunday, July 12, 2026, reflects mounting tension between Netanyahu’s government and its ultra-Orthodox coalition partners over the long-disputed military conscription law, which the Haredi parties accuse Netanyahu of failing to deliver despite prior commitments. The episode points to renewed instability within Israel’s governing coalition, adding to a series of internal disputes that have periodically threatened the coalition’s cohesion throughout Netanyahu’s tenure.
Shas Spiritual Leader Threatens to Abandon Netanyahu, Back Eisenkot for Prime Minister
