Ultra-Orthodox Bloc Refuses Military Service and Skips Math — Now It Could Hand Netanyahu Another Term
A fast-growing ultra-Orthodox community that largely refuses military service and skips core subjects like math is emerging as a kingmaker in Israel's deadlocked election, as Palestinians in Gaza — who had no vote — wait to see who will shape their future.
Israel's election has ended with no clear winner, exit polls and final results show, leaving neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition with enough seats to form a government alone [274058][274782]. The vote was Israel's first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians [271820]. Since then, more than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and Israeli strikes continue almost daily despite a nominal ceasefire agreed a year ago [274848].
Palestinians in Gaza did not vote in the election, yet its outcome will shape their lives [274848]. The enclave has been largely absent from the campaign, even as nearly a million displaced Palestinians face dire sanitary conditions, water shortages and the constant threat of strikes [270855]. Rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu both vowed to end Hamas rule [270855]. Many Gazans hold little hope that the vote will bring political change [272954].
With no bloc able to govern alone, President Isaac Herzog now holds the key to power: after results are finalized, he will begin consultations with all elected parties and ask each leader whom they recommend as prime minister [273650]. Opposition politicians have met to discuss a possible coalition, while Netanyahu accused Arab-led parties of election fraud without offering evidence [274782].
The ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community is becoming a decisive force in that coalition math [275033]. The community largely refuses compulsory military service, and many Haredi schools do not teach core subjects such as math and English, focusing instead on religious study [275033]. It is growing quickly and voting as a bloc, making Haredi parties key partners in forming any government [275033]. One activist warned the trend is "leading us toward Israel's destruction," pointing to the economic burden of a large population outside the workforce and the military, while supporters say religious study protects Jewish identity and their way of life deserves respect [275033].
The election also unfolded against a grim backdrop in Gaza. A United Nations commission said in a report that Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after the US-brokered ceasefire last October; Israel rejected the report as part of a "misinformation campaign" [272753]. An Israeli strike on a university in Gaza killed three people, as Gaza's education ministry said 10 students and educators had been killed by the Israeli army over the past six days [271744]. Four more Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, according to sources [273552].
Hezbollah's leader said the group does not care who governs Israel, commenting after Netanyahu's bloc lost its parliamentary majority [274220]. In Tel Aviv, Israelis turned out in record numbers for what many called a fateful election, with some voters expressing relief and others anxiety about what lies ahead [273838].