Shas chairman Aryeh Deri launched an attack on Likud, telling the party journal that Arab Knesset members show greater appreciation for the value of Torah study than some Likud lawmakers. Speaking against the backdrop of the conscription bill debate, Deri vowed to block arrests of yeshiva students through the end of the summer session, according to i24NEWS.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri escalated his campaign over the military conscription law and yeshiva student protections, firing a sharp critique at coalition partner Likud. In an interview published in the Shas party journal 'HaDerech' (The Way), Deri claimed that Arab MKs demonstrate a deeper understanding of the value of Torah study than some Likud lawmakers. He also pledged to fight 'every stone' through the end of the Knesset summer session to halt arrests of yeshiva students, according to i24NEWS.
The attack comes amid a heated legislative battle over the conscription law, which would regulate the status of yeshiva students exempt from mandatory military service. As The Zioneer previously reported (June 7), Deri accused the former Attorney General of stalling the legislation. He later demanded an immediate Knesset vote on the Basic Law: Torah Study as a condition for coalition support (June 8).
The remark about Arab MKs echoes a broader political dynamic: earlier this month, commentator Daniel Amram claimed that Arab parties voted alongside Likud and Haredi MKs on the Torah Study bill in exchange for blocking legislation restricting mosque calls to prayer (The Zioneer, June 10). The conscription debate continues to strain the governing coalition, with Likud MK Dan Illouz previously calling the Torah Study bill 'a spit in the face of the serving public' (June 9).
2 developments
- DevelopingAryeh Deri criticizes Likud for neglecting Mizrahi voters
- StrongShas leader Deri demands Torah Study Basic Law vote as condition for coalition support
- DevelopingShas leader Aryeh Deri slams Attorney General for blocking yeshiva student draft law
- DevelopingShas chairman Deri slams Ben Gvir: 'Wake up' — police act against Torah learners, not anarchists
Source and signal
- Internal intake