A senior government official spoke with Arutz Sheva on Monday morning, warning that the actions of the chareidi parties and Otzma Yehudit could potentially bring down the government in the near future. The official’s comments were in response to the announcement by Agudat Yisrael’s Knesset members (MKs) that they planned to vote against certain budget laws, along with concerns that MKs from Otzma Yehudit would follow suit, as they did last week, and vote against the budget as well.
Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, stated that he would not back down, emphasizing that his party would continue to oppose the coalition until the Ministry of Finance agrees to his demands.
This morning, Hamodia reported that Agudas Yisrael MKs are expected to vote against a bill that seeks to impose a tax on “undistributed profits,” which is scheduled for its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum. Should Otzma Yehudit continue to vote against the coalition, there would be no majority to pass the law.
The newspaper also clarified the reasoning behind the chareidi Knesset members’ actions. “The most important goals for the chareidi sector – the status of the draft law for yeshiva students – has not yet been legally arranged. It is well known that the chareidi parties, in general, and Agudat Yisrael in particular, supported right-wing governments throughout the upheavals of the election campaigns, which occurred in recent years, and expressed total loyalty to the right-wing bloc.”
The article went on to explain that the chareidi parties joined the current government, which is considered fully right-wing, and have achieved significant progress in various areas such as housing, welfare, and finance. Despite this, they have no desire to see the government fall. However, the most crucial goal for the chareidi sector, which they made clear before entering the coalition and have consistently emphasized, is the status of the draft law for yeshiva students, who are seen as an essential asset to the people of Israel. Despite numerous requests, promises, and commitments, they are still waiting for concrete decisions on this matter.
{Matzav.com Israel}
