Ultra-Orthodox parties come out in favor of hostage deal

Israel’s Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, the chairman of the United Torah Judaism Party, also expressed support for the deal on Tuesday.

By Troy Osher Fritzhand, JNS

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties on Tuesday expressed support for the hostage deal with Hamas currently on the table.

“The faction decided to fully support the Israeli proposal, which includes far-reaching measures for the return of the abducted and the observance of the mitzvot of redeeming captives,” read a statement released by the Shas Party.

“Shas supports the proposal and strengthens the prime minister and the War Cabinet to withstand all the pressures, bring the deal to a conclusion and save the lives of many of our brothers and sisters who are in trouble and captivity,” it continued.

Israel’s Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, the chairman of the United Torah Judaism Party, also expressed support for the deal on Tuesday.

“I told the representatives of the hostage families today that our position is that there is nothing greater than the value of life and the mitzvah of redeeming captives, because there is a real and tangible danger to their lives. Therefore, any proposal that will lead to the release of the hostages, we will support it,” he tweeted.

The agreement referenced was announced publicly by U.S. President Joe Biden in a televised address on Friday evening. Calling it an Israeli proposal, the deal laid out by Biden on Friday aims for a “permanent” end to hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

The U.S. president claimed he wants a future “without Hamas in power,” but described a series of steps that did not include the elimination of the terrorist group or its surrender.

Due to this, the announcement led to pushback within Israel’s governing coalition erupted, with Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatening to leave the coalition if a deal as outlined by Biden was implemented.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed during a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that Biden’s outline of the proposal was “inaccurate.”

“I am not willing to stop the war. I will not describe the details of the deal, but what the president of the United States described is not accurate,” Netanyahu said during the closed-door session, Kan News reported.

“We can stop the fighting for 42 days in order to return hostages, but we will not give up on total victory,” he told lawmakers, according to the report.

The premier also said that Biden had omitted “other details” during his Friday address.