Kadima Leaves

Kadima has left Israel's coalition due to disputes over a new draft law:

"Kadima set a goal of enlisting 80 percent of the ultra-Orthodox within four years, with stiff financial penalties for dodgers. Under pressure from religious parties long aligned with his Likud faction, Mr. Netanyahu proffered a more incremental solution, which Mr. Mofaz rejected as a cop-out...

"With Parliament scheduled to disband for a three-month recess next week, the lack of agreement on a new draft law leaves the issue in the hands of the Israeli Defense Force. An aide to the defense minister said Tuesday that recruitment of yeshiva students would begin in August, but hinted that it would move slowly.

"The political question now is whether Mr. Netanyahu can keep control over the factions in the remaining 66-member coalition. The religious parties may be less eager to go to the polls now, with the draft question in the forefront after weeks of wrenching public debate. The wild-card remains Avigdor Lieberman, head of the conservative Yisrael Beiteinu Party, who has his own draft legislation scheduled for a Parliament vote Thursday."

Kadima actually has the most members of the Knesset, but was unable to form a coalition in the right-wing dominated body.  Even though he still has a working majority, I suspect Netanyahu will call early elections soon, while he has no significant challengers for the prime minister's position, and win another few year's in the job with something like his current coalition.