Aryeh Deri criticized the High Court's ruling authorizing arrests of yeshiva students who evade the draft, saying most Israelis have lost faith in the court, which he called a political arm of left-wing parties. He also announced he will attend the Knesset to vote for the bill splitting the attorney general's role.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri announced Wednesday afternoon that he will attend the Knesset to vote for the bill splitting the attorney general's role, escalating the coalition's legislative push against the judiciary. The announcement came after Deri earlier at 15:27 Jerusalem criticized the High Court of Justice for its ruling authorizing arrests of yeshiva students who evade the draft, calling the court a 'political arm of left-wing parties' and accusing it of losing public trust. Deri, who rarely votes in person, said he will make an exception to support the bill, which is part of a broader judicial reform effort.
At 15:27 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported two statements from Deri. In the first, according to Channel 12 political reporter Eli Hirshman, Deri called the High Court's interim order blocking a law that would freeze arrests of draft dodgers 'a further expression of the power intoxication of judicial activism.' In a second, separate statement, Deri accused the court of abandoning its judicial role and becoming a political arm of the left, without referencing a specific ruling. The same timestamp yielded two distinct reports, indicating a rapid escalation in Deri's rhetoric.
As The Zioneer reported on Mon Jul 6, political reporter Hershkovitz noted that Haredi parties were expected to support the coalition's legislative package, including the AG split bill. On Tue Jul 14, commentator Shila Fried reported that the Haredi public is pessimistic about the arrest-freeze law surviving High Court review, hoping only to get through the upcoming intersession break without arrests. Earlier, on Mon Jun 22, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi called for abolishing the High Court entirely, as The Zioneer reported.
The High Court has not yet issued a final ruling on the law freezing arrests of yeshiva students, and the AG split bill faces opposition from the legal establishment and opposition parties. Deri's announcement signals a hardening of the coalition's stance, but the legislative outcome remains uncertain.
3 developments
- DevelopingShas leader Aryeh Deri slams Attorney General for blocking yeshiva student draft law
- DevelopingDeri: Right-wing bloc will remain united after vote, opposition petition to High Court aims to split the people
- DevelopingMK Gilad Kariv accuses 'National Right' members of exposing Israelis to arbitrary government power over AG split bill
- DevelopingReport: Deri pushing a 'thin' draft law to halt yeshiva student arrests
Source and signal
- Internal intake