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‘I will resign’ – Pass draft law or ultra-Orthodox topple gov’t, warns minister

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Netanyahu promised to immediately pass legislation which would grant permanent exemptions from military service for religiously observant young men.

By World Israel News Staff

A Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) lawmaker warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that should he fail to keep his coalition agreement with the party regarding a contentious draft law, his party and others will topple the current government.

“As soon as the Draft Law is not passed, I will resign, not even a minute will pass,” Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) told Haredi news outlet HaMithadesh.

Goldknopf noted that Netanyahu had originally promised to pass the law immediately after the inauguration of the new Knesset following the November 2022 elections.

Nearly a year has passed since then, and bringing the law for a vote has been delayed by the Likud party multiple times.

The lawmaker said that should Netanyahu not move forward with the legislation, his party will refuse to support the ongoing judicial overhaul.

“There is no debate about the law, there is a clear commitment from the Prime Minister in the coalition agreement,” Goldknopf emphasized.

“We have respected the coalition demands that have existed so far, and now in the winter session, the first thing we need to do is pass a Draft Law, that is the agreement. We will not support any legislation on judicial reform before that.”

As part of an agreement ensuring the participation of ultra-Orthodox political parties in the right-wing coalition, Netanyahu promised to immediately pass legislation which would essentially grant permanent exemptions from military service for religiously observant young men.

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The law is wildly unpopular among voters from Netanyahu’s Likud party, and many Religious Zionists – who make up the second largest party in the current coalition – are also opposed to such a move.

Several Likud MKs have announced that they will refuse to vote for the law and said that it will not have enough support to be passed in the Knesset. The public criticism is unprecedented and highly unusual for the party.