Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was forced to consider calling an early general election on Tuesday night after the largest party in the country's parliament walked out of his ruling coalition.
Just two months after joining a unity government, Shaul Mofaz led his Kadima party into opposition after failing to secure legislation extending conscription to Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews. Mr Mofaz also resigned as deputy prime minister as negotiations over a new law on army service collapsed.
"Kadima has decided to resign from the national unity government," Mr Mofaz said. "I committed that if we don't succeed in our mission we won't remain in the coalition. I'm keeping my word. We are returning, with our heads held high, to serve Israel in the opposition." Holding 28 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Kadima's entry into the coalition gave Mr Netanyahu a majority virtually unparalleled in the history of the Jewish state.
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