A key ultra-Orthodox ally in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has announced its departure from the cabinet, marking a serious setback that could potentially leave Netanyahu presiding over a minority coalition,

Shas’s six ministers and one deputy minister began handing in their resignations one after the other on Thursday, in the wake of a decision by the party’s spiritual leadership council on Wednesday to leave the government over its failure to exempt haredi yeshiva students from IDF service.

The departure of two ultra-Orthodox parties from Israel’s government leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu politically weakened just as he seeks a ceasefire in Gaza, military dominance in southern Syria and influence over US policy toward Iran.

With both ultra-Orthodox parties apparently on the way out, the PM could soon be heading an unstable, minority government, but that does not mean elections are around the corner The post Are Shas and UTJ poised to collapse Netanyahu’s government?

Israeli officials react to Shas's decision to exit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid responded to Shas's decision to exit the government on Wednesday, stating,

Unlike the United Torah Judaism (UTJ), the Shas party said on Wednesday it would remain within Netanyahu-led coalition for now, giving the government more time to resolve a thorny dispute over military conscription.

The Shas party announced Wednesday that all of its ministers would resign from the government due to the ongoing dispute over ultra-Orthodox enlistment, though it will remain part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

Orthodox party's council said that Wednesday's meeting comes in the wake of "severe and unacceptable harm to the status of Torah students. ” The Sephardi-haredi Shas party’s spiritual leadership, the Council of Torah Sages,