Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on Wednesday withdrew its proposed bills from the Knesset plenum’s agenda amid the ongoing crisis over the Haredi Draft Bill.
The ultra-Orthodox parties, consisting of Shas and United Torah Judaism, have been boycotting private member bills but have now decided to boycott government-sponsored legislation as well, Israel’s broadcaster Channel 14 reported.
UTJ is moreover mulling expanding the boycott by completely absenting themselves from the plenum, the report added.
The coalition has been largely unable to legislate during the Knesset’s summer session, which runs until July 27, due to the crisis with the Haredi parties.
Israel’s Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, has ordered the government to explain its decision to hold off on drafting young ultra-Orthodox men into the military.
The Draft Bill, which has yet to be proposed by the government, is expected to draft or exempt from military service ultra-Orthodox men—with the 18 members of the Haredi parties fighting to anchor exemptions of male yeshivah students in law.
Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz slammed the ultra-Orthodox parties on Wednesday, saying that Netanyahu deserves “better partners.”
“The right-wing camp deserves more principled partners. And the ultra-Orthodox public—which includes many dear and devoted citizens of Israel—deserves better representatives than these political fixers,” Illouz wrote on X.
The parliamentarian appealed to the head of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuli Edelstein, urging him not to advance a new Draft Bill proposal as long as Shas and United Torah Judaism continue their boycott. “Let them get along with the existing law,” Illouz tweeted.
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday issued tens of thousands of first-draft notices to yeshivah students, Israeli outlet Ynet reported. The IDF is planning to send out around 54,000 such notices by the end of the summer, according to the report.
Refusal to heed draft order can ultimately lead to arrest.
The ultra-Orthodox daily Yated Ne’eman on Wednesday published an editorial comparing Netanyahu to British leader Winston Churchill. The piece commended Churchill for his leadership during World War II, but emphasized that it was not enough for reelection in the aftermath of the war.
Churchill “turned a deaf ear to the needs of a weary nation, and instead of making repairs at home, he sold them victory speeches. Thirsty for glory, he devoted his finest time and rare talents to foreign affairs,” the editorial read.
