The firm alliance between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties appeared to be unraveling this past summer, even prompting speculation about its possible demise under certain conditions.

The spread of the coronavirus was still under control at the time, and the government approved a proposal by Health Minister Yuli Edelstein of the Likud to increase the number of guests allowed in hotel dining rooms beyond the previous limit. Leaders of the two ultra-Orthodox parties, Interior Minister and Shas Party chair Aryeh Deri and Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman of Yahadut HaTorah, were livid with Netanyahu, accusing him of relaxing restrictions so hotel guests could enjoy themselves while synagogue prayers were still under severe curbs. They already had a bellyful over Netanyahu’s refusal to block Knesset legislation banning homosexual conversion therapy.

In the ensuing weeks, tens of thousands of demonstrators continued amassing outside Netanyahu’s official Jerusalem residence on Balfour Street every Saturday evening, mostly ignoring social distancing guidelines, while restrictions on public prayers remained in effect. Fury at Netanyahu gathered steam and appeared to be eroding his political support.

Tensions with his ultra-Orthodox government partners mounted further when they accused him of trying to torpedo the planned annual pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Hassidim to the tomb of a revered rabbi in the Ukraine city of Uman ahead of the Sept. 18 start of the Jewish New Year. They argued that his efforts in that regard, prompted by health concerns over such a mass gathering, were contributing to the negative image of ultra-Orthodox Jews as disease carriers. Against this backdrop, pundits and analysts well-versed in ultra-Orthodox affairs claimed this was the beginning of the end of the alliance forged by mutual interests, which had enabled Netanyahu’s continued rule in recent years.