Yitzhak Goldknopf, leader of the United Torah Judaism party, has issued a direct threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Goldknopf explicitly states that unless a law granting a blanket exemption from military service to Haredi yeshiva students is enacted before any further judicial overhaul legislation, his party is prepared to bring down the government.
In an interview with the Kikar Hashabbat news site, Goldknopf expresses regret that the ultra-Orthodox parties did not insist on the enactment of the enlistment law before the current government was formed in December. He points out that the law has been repeatedly postponed, with coalition officials citing the volatile atmosphere as a reason for delay.
Goldknopf underscores the firm stance of UTJ rabbis, who maintain that “without a draft law, there is no government.” He rejects any attempts to soften the proposed legislation.
When asked whether this means that the government’s survival is contingent on passing the draft law, Goldknopf responds, “It’s possible, yes, it seems like that.” He further asserts that Likud has committed to ensuring that no other legislation will be passed before the draft law, and he presents a document signed by the government secretary to support this claim.
Goldknopf goes on to reveal that all Haredi parties have conveyed to Netanyahu that they will vote against any judicial overhaul bill until the draft law is successfully passed.