United Torah Judaism MK Meir Porush confirmed late Monday night at a gathering of the Shlomi Emunim faction that he has told the coalition it will not advance other legislation until the bill to freeze arrests of draft evaders passes, according to journalist Dafna Liel (N12).
Late Monday night, UTJ MK Meir Porush confirmed at a Shlomi Emunim gathering that he has told the coalition his party will not advance any other legislation until the arrest-freeze bill passes, reported N12 journalist Dafna Liel. The statement intensifies the coalition crisis that escalated throughout Monday evening, as Haredi parties issued ultimatums and UTJ MK Moshe Gafni halted all coalition votes in the Knesset plenum.
The crisis unfolded rapidly Monday evening. The Knesset approved the Basic Law: Torah Study in its final reading at 21:56 Jerusalem with 63-52. Immediately after, Haredi parties informed the coalition they would not vote on any coalition law unless the arrest-freeze bill was next (N12, 21:56 Jerusalem). By 21:56, MK Gafni announced he was halting all coalition votes until the bill passes (N12, 21:56 Jerusalem). Porush's confirmation, reported by Dafna Liel, aligns with these threats. Earlier ultimatums were issued by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri on June 22 (as The Zioneer reported) and by Gafni on July 13.
The arrest-freeze bill has been a central point of contention. The Zioneer reported on July 13 that the IDF Chief of Staff opposes the measure. N12 journalist Dafna Liel also reported on July 13 at 18:10 Jerusalem that the IDF had repeatedly warned against stripping detention tools, rebutting claims of last-minute concern. The Haredi public has been informed that opposition to the bill is expanding, after the Chief of Staff's letter, as reported by Ari Kalman on July 13 at 20:21 Jerusalem.
It remains unclear whether the coalition can resolve the dispute. The Knesset plenum was halted as coalition leaders work to address the competing demands from Haredi parties and Religious Zionism, which also demanded priority for its own legislation. The Basic Law: Torah Study has also been challenged by a petition to the High Court by the Movement for Quality Government.
8 developments
- DevelopingMK Porush reveals coalition agreement with legal counsel on detention law vote
- StrongUnited Torah Judaism joins Shas in blocking coalition legislation unless draft-evader arrests end and Torah study Basic Law passes
- StrongNetanyahu convenes coalition heads Tuesday to secure majority for draft-evader arrest freeze
- DevelopingMK Meir Porush calls to advance daycare bill to final approval
Source and signal
- Internal intake