In a fiery interview with Yishai Cohen in the Kikar HaShabbat studio, United Torah Judaism leader MK Yitzchak Goldknopf has broken a year-long silence to publicly slam Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, accuse the government of betraying yeshiva students, and warn of chaos if the IDF dares to arrest Torah learners.
Goldknopf, who until now had refused all media appearances—even after resigning from the government—finally opened up about what he says are broken promises, failed negotiations, and deep disappointment. He revealed that Netanyahu had personally pledged that the judicial reform would lead to legal protections for bnei yeshiva. “But we got zero,” Goldknopf declared. “Just empty words, promises that disappeared into thin air.”
Reflecting on the formation of the coalition, Goldknopf said he had approached the Gerer Rebbe to report on the government’s draft law commitment. The Rebbe’s response: “What guarantee do you have?” Goldknopf recounted that Netanyahu offered him a ministerial role in the Prime Minister’s Office in lieu of any binding guarantee. “Every time I raised the issue, Netanyahu got upset,” he said. “But I never let up. I brought it into every meeting.”
He described storming into a closed-door budget discussion when he was excluded. “I told them, ‘No draft law—no budget!’ But all we got were floating phrases and vaporous promises.”
Goldknopf revealed that Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs gave him a letter stating that a draft law would be presented by October 15, 2023. “Since then, nothing’s happened. Every day they tell me, ‘It’s coming, it’s coming.’ But we had to threaten unpleasant consequences. That’s why we left the government. We’re getting nothing—no education budgets, no welfare funding. I submitted a report: it was all zero.”
He reiterated that United Torah Judaism will not accept any draft law that includes quotas or sanctions. “We signed an agreement. It doesn’t say a word about penalties, quotas, or punishments. Why should Torah learners be beaten down? Let them learn. Bring back yeshiva budgets. Bring back daycare subsidies. They’ve hit everything except the elderly—but give them time, they’ll start evicting grandfathers whose grandsons don’t enlist.”
Goldknopf expressed full support for his aide Moti Babchik, who was recently dismissed from the Housing Ministry. “What’s the question? Every day, every moment, I stand with him. If firing him is meant to hit us hard—go ahead. Let them.”
Looking to the future, he said, “I believe the next government will also be right-wing, headed by Netanyahu or someone else. But we—and the other chareidi parties—will not join any government without a proper draft law. No quotas, no goals. That will be the condition.”
He also dismissed criticism from Yair Netanyahu, who accused him of “selling the Negev to the Arabs” the day he resigned. “What, now I should respond to his grandson too? Let him say what he wants. What does he know about what goes on in the Prime Minister’s Office? He’s not even in the country. It’s nonsense.”
Goldknopf revealed what took place behind the scenes when Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin were securing chareidi support for judicial reform. “They told us to back it because we’d get a ‘Basic Law: Torah Study,’ and the override clause. They said, ‘This is for your benefit.’ And what did we get? Nothing. We were misled. We failed.”
With the military and attorney general signaling that arrests of bnei yeshiva could begin within weeks, Goldknopf issued a dire warning: “This is a decree no one will be able to carry out. You want to shake the state? Go ahead. There will be no quiet here—not in any form. I’m not talking about violence or blood—but this country will not rest. You cannot touch yeshiva students. You cannot arrest Torah learners. It won’t happen.”
He criticized his chareidi coalition partners for not creating a crisis earlier—particularly during state budget votes. “In the end, we all reached the same conclusion. No draft law, no cooperation. If we hadn’t voted for the budget, the law would’ve passed already. I’m telling you.”
As for drafting non-learners, Goldknopf said, “First show me where you’re sending them. Are you guaranteeing they’ll come out chareidi? I get letters every day calling those promises lies. First build a real system that supports Yavneh v’chachameha—then we’ll talk.”
He also addressed the controversy surrounding a viral wedding video in which guests sang “We’ll die before we enlist” while dancing near him. “No one saw me dancing. They were dancing around me against me. They came to provoke. And instead of defending my dignity, people poured fuel on the fire. What do you want me to do, pour water on the gasoline?”
Goldknopf emphasized that the draft law is entirely in Netanyahu’s hands. “If he wants it, it’ll pass. If he truly wants a law, there will be one. Does that mean I believe him? I’ve given my faith to Someone Else. I believe only in Hakadosh Baruch Hu.”
Concluding the interview, he made clear: “The law we want to support will have no quotas and no sanctions. There is no such thing in any law in the State of Israel. Tell me another law that has penalties? Why target these poor yeshiva guys? They’re a small part of the country—and yet everyone obsesses over them. Let them live. They’re not bothering you.”
Uh oh. The gloves have come off. This is war. Who is with us? Full speed ahead. I’ll saddle my own horse.
Unlike the current system court in Israel with unelected judges running everything in the government; political, religious and everything else – Judicial reform will bring power to the ones who were actually elected, i.e. the Prime Minister, Chief Rabbis, etc.