Latest news with #Yuli Edelstein
Al Mayadeen
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Haredi parties boycott Knesset over delayed military exemption bill
The ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties announced a boycott of Monday's Knesset plenum session in protest of the absence of legislation granting military service exemptions for yeshiva students, according to Israeli media. This full boycott marks an escalation from their previous partial legislative protest, during which they refused to vote on private members' bills advanced by coalition partners. Senior UTJ officials told Israel Hayom that Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein 'is not providing a draft [of the bill],' which they interpret as a retreat from previous agreements. 'The ultra-Orthodox parties will not be able to sit and vote with a coalition that supports such a law,' they said. Edelstein reportedly showed a Haredi representative a softened version of the conscription bill, but only in the form of a general outline, not a full draft, according to "Israel's" Channel 12. A senior UTJ source told The Times of Israel that Edelstein's presentation was "nonsense", adding that they were still waiting for a serious legislative proposal. A member of Edelstein's committee told The Times of Israel that a draft of the revised bill was expected to be presented on Monday, though no official confirmation had been issued. The ongoing boycott may delay the appointment of UTJ MK Yisrael Eichler as housing minister, reflecting the potential political cost of the internal coalition rift. Read more: Haredi parties push for Knesset dissolution, call PM 'a burden' In a related context, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri criticized opposition Leader Yair Lapid for comments accusing the Haredi leadership of hypocrisy. Lapid had claimed that Haredi politicians were willing to send others' children to fight while ensuring their own were exempt from service. During his Yesh Atid faction's weekly meeting, Lapid condemned the exemption push, naming Deri and committee member Yaakov Asher (UTJ), saying they 'have no problem sending [reserve] soldiers to go fight and die on one condition: that their own children not die.' Deri responded with a sharp rebuttal, claiming that 'the percentage of soldiers who serve and risk their lives among Shas voters is higher than among your party's voters.' He accused Lapid of inciting against an entire community, calling his remarks 'serious and false incitement.' He called on Lapid to retract what he described as an 'inflammatory slur'. This standoff highlights the broader political friction over the contentious issue of yeshiva student conscription, which continues to threaten coalition unity. Read more: Eisenkot to resign from Knesset, leave Gantz' party over differences
Al Mayadeen
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Netanyahu US trip delayed over ultra-Orthodox draft dispute
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his departure to Washington amid mounting pressure from ultra-Orthodox blocs demanding immediate progress on the military service exemption law, Israeli Channel 12 reported. These parties have threatened to collapse the government if their demands are not met in the coming days. Three-and-a-half hours behind schedule, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took off from Ben Gurion Airport. The delay underscores the growing political tensions within the coalition, as the ultra-Orthodox demand swift legislative action. Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein met with representatives of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party to present a draft compromise bill aimed at regulating the conscription of yeshiva students. This initiative came amid mounting pressure from Haredi factions, who demanded the opportunity to review the legislation ahead of Netanyahu's visit to the United States. The final draft is expected to be presented to lawmakers within 48 hours, after Edelstein insisted on introducing further amendments, according to Israel Hayom. Opposition figures strongly criticized the legislative process. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition, posted on X; "If Yuli Edelstein, under pressure from Netanyahu, presents the law to the ultra-Orthodox before presenting it to soldiers and reservists, that sums up the whole story of the 'evasion law.'" Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman declared, "The time has come to put an end to the rule of the evaders. Conscription for all, this is the call of the hour." Meanwhile, the Democratic chief Yair Golan added, "Whoever needed proof that this law won't draft a single ultra-Orthodox person got it the moment Edelstein went to approve the draft law with the Shas representative." Coinciding with the political maneuvering, Israeli occupation forces announced that they will issue 54,000 draft notices this week to ultra-Orthodox individuals whose military exemptions as yeshiva students have expired. The IOF also plan to intensify enforcement measures against draft evaders and deserters across all communities. The convergence of coalition threats, legislative debate, and military enforcement has intensified the political crisis, casting a shadow over Netanyahu's foreign agenda and raising fresh doubts about the stability of the ruling government. Read next: Boiling pot: 'Israel's' ideological discord Earlier last month, tensions within "Israel's" ruling coalition were reaching a boiling point as ultra-Orthodox political parties threatened on June 8 to dismantle the Knesset over the government's failure to enact legislation shielding yeshiva students from military conscription. According to Israel Hayom, far-right religious factions, known collectively as the Haredi bloc, were united in their readiness to break ranks with Netanyahu, whom they labeled "a burden". Their frustration stemmed from the delayed passage of a long-promised draft exemption law, derailed by both legal rulings and internal coalition disagreements. A senior figure in Degel HaTorah told the newspaper that "all the Haredi parties are coordinated regarding the vote." The same official alluded to internal discord among government allies, saying: "Aryeh Deri (leader of the extremist Shas party) is torn between his voters and will only join after we lead the move." Deri himself confirmed the party's stance in recent statements: "There is no choice left. We don't like it, but we need to support the dissolution of the Knesset," adding that Netanyahu "is mocking us" through continued inaction.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Haredi rabbi calls Likud MK Yuli Edelstein 'traitor' over draft law
'There's someone in Likud who is a traitor to Israel and a scheming saboteur because he wants to rule and become prime minister,' says Butbul. A prominent Sephardi haredi (ultra-Orthodox) leader, Rabbi Aharon Butbul, launched sharp criticism against Likud MKYuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit regarding the draft law. On his weekly program on Kol B'Rama Radio, Butbul accused a Likud MK of being a "traitor to Israel" and a "scheming saboteur" motivated by personal ambition to become prime minister. "There's someone in Likud who is a traitor to Israel and a scheming saboteur because he wants to rule and become prime minister," Butbul declared. He continued, 'Even if the conscription law passes in three readings in the Knesset, there's a very high chance that the High Court will overturn it. Right now, sitting on the High Court is Yitzhak Amit, who thinks of himself as prime minister and even more. I don't want to say anything too harsh, but he decides everything and will determine what is legal and what is not.' Meanwhile, haredi political parties have renewed their threat to escalate their opposition to the coalition due to the ongoing absence of a draft of the conscription law. The haredim have resumed their boycott of voting, and there are talks of extending it by refusing to participate in Knesset votes with the coalition unless a draft of the law is presented to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. This move could dramatically affect the coalition, especially with government bills set to be brought before the Knesset for second and third readings on Monday. A collapse of such bills could hasten the coalition's demise even more than a preliminary vote to dissolve the Knesset. The Jerusalem Post reported last Tuesday that the text of a law regulating haredi IDF service is expected to be published within days, and the legislative process will likely resume in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee at some point next week, a spokesperson for committee chairman Edelstein said Thursday. The text is expected to reflect agreements reached between Edelstein and representatives of the Knesset's haredi parties on June 12, the eve of theIsraeli strike against Iran, with some adaptations, the spokesperson said. IDF sources said that 54,000 draft orders would be sent to eligible haredi men who have yet to receive them as soon as July 8. As of June 2024, there is no legal exemption from IDF service for the more than 80,000 eligible haredi men. Government representatives pledged to the High Court of Justice that the IDF would draft a maximum capacity of 4,800 haredim in the 2024-2025 draft year, which ended on June 30. However, the IDF only reached about half this number. Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
