Shas's spiritual leader, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, has directed party chairman Aryeh Deri to support all coalition legislation, including the Communications Law, in order to secure the passage of laws that would exempt Haredim from military service, according to N12's Daphna Liel.
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, president of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, instructed party chairman Aryeh Deri to support all coalition legislation — including the controversial Communications Law — in order to secure laws that would exempt Haredi yeshiva students from IDF conscription, according to a report by N12's Daphna Liel at 08:02 Jerusalem.
The directive comes after a series of reports this morning. At 07:56 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Rabbi Yosef had called on the party to back the Communications Law in exchange for a detentions bill (v1). Shortly after, a second report (N12) said he instructed Deri to back all coalition bills for draft exemptions (v2), followed by a third report (ynet) that the support was conditioned on advancing the Basic Law: Torah Study and the Kashrut Law (v3). The latest instruction from Rabbi Yosef widens that commitment to blanket coalition support, tying Shas's legislative backing to the broader package of draft-exemption legislation.
The move comes amid a broader realignment of Haredi parties behind the coalition's legislative agenda this week, including a state commission of inquiry bill and a bill to split the attorney general's role, as The Zioneer reported on Monday (10:43 Jerusalem). The Communications Law, sponsored by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, has been a flashpoint within the coalition, with United Torah Judaism announcing its opposition. Rabbi Yosef's intervention secures Shas's vote in favor, offsetting UTJ's opposition, provided the broader deal holds.
It remains unclear whether the broader coalition deal will include the specific legislative demands — the Basic Law: Torah Study and the Kashrut Law — that were part of earlier reports. A final decision on the full package is expected in faction meetings later today.
4 developments
- StrongDeri to coalition: no votes for any legislation unless Torah Study Basic Law advances
- StrongShas leader Deri demands Torah Study Basic Law vote as condition for coalition support
- StrongMK Moshe Gafni pushes urgent vote on Haredi draft exemption bill; Degel HaTorah blames Shas leader for delay
- StrongHaredi parties boycott coalition faction heads meeting; Shas rabbi plans protest
Source and signal
- Internal intake