Haredi Draft Law Dead: Degel HaTorah Blames Netanyahu

A severe political crisis has erupted within Degel HaTorah as the Knesset's summer session opens, with senior party officials now openly acknowledging that a Haredi draft law will not pass during the current term. The admission marks a dramatic shift in tone from the Lithuanian faction of United Torah Judaism, which has made the legislation its central political objective.

MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of the Degel HaTorah faction, has reportedly refused to take phone calls from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while party insiders are now discussing the possibility of immediately dissolving the Knesset. The breakdown in communication between the Prime Minister and one of his key coalition partners signals a deepening rift that could threaten the government's stability.

"Netanyahu Is Stringing Us Along"

In closed-door conversations, senior Degel HaTorah officials expressed frustration with what they characterized as the Prime Minister's pattern of evasion. "Netanyahu is stringing us along with excuses that there's no majority for legislation," party insiders stated, according to reports from Kikar HaShabbat. "The Prime Minister keeps dodging his repeated promises to regulate the status of yeshiva students, presenting the same excuse every time — lack of a Knesset majority."

The accusations come as senior Haredi officials have revealed that rabbinic leadership requested a thorough vote count before rendering a final decision on the proposed legislation. The request reflects growing concern that months of intensive rabbinical deliberation could prove futile if the law cannot survive a Knesset vote.

"We Have Nothing to Show Our Voters"

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf conveyed the political stakes in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, noting that Netanyahu had made two central commitments at the beginning of the session: eliminating Iran's nuclear threat and passing the draft law. "Iran has advanced, the draft has gone backward," Goldknopf stated bluntly.

The UTJ chairman emphasized the electoral implications of the legislative failure. "The situation is bad, and we have nothing to bring back to our voters," he clarified. "Without this law, we have nothing to show the people who elected us." The statement reflects deep anxiety within the Haredi parties that they face potential voter backlash over their inability to deliver on their primary legislative mission.

Deri and Uri Maklev in the Kneseet (Photo: Kikar HaShabbat)

Religious Zionism: "No Majority for Current Version"

The coalition crisis has been compounded by opposition from within Netanyahu's own government. Religious Zionism Minister Ofir Sofer stated in an interview that "the draft law in its current format does not have a majority in the Knesset. It will not pass unless there are significant changes." Sofer emphasized that the security reality created after the October 7th attacks necessitates a comprehensive reassessment of all IDF manpower arrangements.

In response to sharp criticism from MK Gafni, Sofer pushed back forcefully. "I heard Gafni's words, and I want to tell him and the public: I don't measure Gafni's fear of Heaven, and he shouldn't measure mine," the minister asserted. "We grew up on Torah and work, on learning and defense. This isn't against the world of Torah — it's for our survival here."