MK Yitzhak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) sparked controversy by reportedly comparing full-time Torah students to Hamas Nukhba operatives, saying 'you cannot turn Torah scholars into Nukhba men.' The comment, aired on Channel 12, drew sharp criticism.
MK Yitzhak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) sparked a political firestorm Tuesday with a reportedly inflammatory comparison between full-time yeshiva students and Hamas's elite Nukhaba force. In remarks broadcast on Channel 12's evening news, Goldknopf was quoted as saying 'you cannot turn Torah scholars into Nukhba men' — a line that critics immediately denounced as equating draft-dodging with terrorism. The remark comes amid renewed pressure on the coalition to advance a broad conscription law that would mandate enlistment for the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) sector, a core coalition crisis that has dragged on for months. No further context was provided in the initial report, and Goldknopf's office has not yet issued a clarifying statement.
- DevelopingGoldknopf: 'We will turn the state into a fiery blaze — we will turn prisons into yeshivas'
- DevelopingKnesset Committee erupts in heated debate over Torah Study Basic Law and draft crisis
- StrongWineter blasts Gafni, Goldknopf over Torah study rhetoric, details Haredi enlistment efforts
- DevelopingMK Moshe Tur-Paz says Torah study bill is 'a desecration of Torah', will study without exemption
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake