With the Knesset set to reconvene on May 10 after its six-week spring recess, the coalition is preparing to advance an ambitious agenda of contentious legislation, including measures aimed at shaping narratives around the October 7, 2023, massacre and punishing its perpetrators.

The most controversial piece of legislation set to move ahead involves plans for an arrangement meant to enshrine military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox in law, a widely unpopular measure which has riven deep divisions within the coalition and could bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government months ahead of its natural expiration date in the fall.

Other hot-button proposals include a politically appointed probe into the October 7, 2023, massacre, the creation of a special military tribunal for the perpetrators of October 7, an overhaul of broadcast media, legislation splitting the role of the attorney general, and the enshrinement of commemoration activities for October 7.

Several of the bills were pushed to the sidelines in late March as the coalition scrambled to secure passage of the state budget before the statutory March 31 deadline. Failure to pass the budget would have triggered the collapse of the government and early elections.

Some measures nonetheless continued to move forward in parliamentary committee discussions even as the plenum sat idle and during the war with Iran, when non-urgent legislation was supposed to be frozen.

In power since late December 2022, the coalition has until October at the latest to push through legislation before new elections are held.

With the budget fight behind them and the government no longer facing an immediate risk of dissolution, coalition leaders are expected to push ahead more aggressively with the initiatives, seeking to deliver on core ideological priorities and bolster their legislative record as re-election campaigns ramp up.

Here is a look at the major pieces of legislation expected to advance once lawmakers return to the Knesset.

Haredi draft exemption

Perhaps the most nationally divisive issue on the coalition’s legislative agenda is the government bill enshrining sweeping exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community from mandatory military service.

The proposal, currently being considered in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, states that its goal is to “regulate the status of full-time yeshiva students while recognizing the importance of Torah study,” but in practice would continue to grant military exemptions to full-time yeshiva students while ostensibly increasing conscription among graduates of Haredi educational institutions.

It also removes various provisions from a previous draft intended to ensure that those registered for yeshiva study are actually studying, and cancels all sanctions on draft evaders when they turn 26.

The legislation has drawn sharp criticism from senior IDF officials, the attorney general, and other opponents, who argue that it contains significant loopholes, entrenches inequality in the draft system, and will not result in increased enlistment to meet what the military says is a severe manpower shortage.

Some 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged between 18 and 24 are currently believed to be eligible for service but haven’t enlisted.

Dependent on Haredi support to remain in power, the coalition has struggled to find a formulation that satisfies both the ultra-Orthodox leadership and the broader public’s demand for a shared burden of mandatory military service.

The measure is backed by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, but has faced vocal opposition from within the coalition, including Netanyahu’s own Likud party. It was temporarily set aside following the outbreak of war with Iran on February 28, as the government moved to secure........

© The Times of Israel