Eli Hirshman, a Degel HaTorah MK, said he will vote against the coalition's broadcast law, according to a message from Hirshman shared via N12 (Israeli media). He joins United Torah Judaism faction leader Yitzhak Goldknopf, who made a similar announcement minutes earlier, leaving the bill's passage in the Knesset more uncertain.
The coalition's broadcast law suffered a second defection within minutes Monday afternoon. MK Eli Hirshman (Degel HaTorah) said he will vote against the bill, joining UTJ faction chairman MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, who made his own opposition public moments earlier. As The Zioneer reported at 12:18, Goldknopf's announcement left the bill's prospects uncertain. Hirshman's addition means the entire United Torah Judaism faction — both Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah — appears unified in opposition, removing two reliable coalition votes. The broadcast bill, which aims to restructure the public broadcasting system, had already faced opposition from other coalition lawmakers over the conscription crisis and other disputes. It remains unclear whether the coalition will attempt to bring the bill to a vote without UTJ support or seek amendments.
3 developments
- DevelopingGoldknopf delivers ultimatum to Shlomo Karhi: keep Shabbat and content filtering or lose coalition support
- StrongUTJ furious as coalition delays daycare funding vote; Gafni lashes out at Likud
- StrongUnited Torah Judaism boycott stalls muezzin bill vote in Knesset
- StrongUTJ sets Shabbat red lines in broadcast law debate
Source and signal
- Internal intake