The home of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch has issued a stark warning: If there is no significant breakthrough on the long-stalled draft law, the Degel HaTorah faction within United Torah Judaism will exit the governing coalition.
This announcement follows what is perceived as a continued standstill in legislation that would accommodate chareidi yeshiva students within Israel’s mandatory military conscription framework. The statement from Rav Hirsch’s home emphasized that without a dramatic change, the time has come to take decisive action.
The ultimatum comes as a critical meeting took place between MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and former Shas MK Ariel Attias. According to reports, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office is considering removing Edelstein from his position due to his firm opposition to a maximalist draft law, which has been heavily backed by the chareidi parties. However, Netanyahu’s office has officially denied the claims.
Sources close to the Prime Minister are reportedly evaluating whether such a political shake-up would buy enough time to appease chareidi demands and allow for the legislation to pass within their desired timeline.
Earlier Tuesday, the crisis over the draft law appeared to reach a boiling point. Motti Babchik, close aide to UTJ chairman and Housing Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf, met with National Unity leader Benny Gantz. The meeting is part of a broader effort by Agudas Yisroel to explore a potential Knesset dissolution bill, a move that could bring down the government altogether.
Meanwhile, MK Moshe Gafni reportedly delivered a stern message to the Prime Minister’s office on behalf of the leading rabbinic figures of the Litvishe community—Rav Dov Landau and Rav Hirsch—that unless real progress is made on the draft legislation by tonight, instructions will be given to escalate political pressure immediately.
{Matzav.com Israel}
