Shas said Monday evening it supports the bill barring Red Cross visits to Nukhba terrorists but will only vote for it after the Torah Study Basic Law passes, as agreed with the coalition chair. The party accused Minister Ben Gvir of prioritizing political drama over passing the bill by insisting on a vote today.
Shas released a statement Monday evening at 20:35 Jerusalem reiterating its support for the bill barring Red Cross visits to Nukhba terrorists, but conditioning its vote on the advancement of the coalition's Torah Study Basic Law — a demand Shas chairman Aryeh Deri raised days ago. The party said it proposed to Minister Ben Gvir to move the Red Cross bill to Wednesday, so Shas could vote for it immediately after the Basic Law passes, as agreed with the coalition chair. According to the statement, Ben Gvir insisted on a vote today. "Unfortunately, Ben Gvir insists on raising the bill today. It seems the political spin is more important to him than passing this important law," the party said.
As The Zioneer reported at 19:31, the standoff deepened Monday evening after coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz warned that the bill would fail without opposition support. Shas's position puts the legislation at risk, as the coalition lacks a majority without the party's six seats. A separate Shas source told N12 earlier Monday that the party would coordinate its vote with coalition discipline, but today's statement signals that coordination is contingent on the Basic Law timeline.
2 developments
- DevelopingShas to oppose bill barring Red Cross visits to security prisoners, Ben Gvir charges
- DevelopingCoalition chair warns Red Cross bill will collapse without opposition support
- DevelopingBen Gvir camp slams Deri, accuses him of pushing for Red Cross visits to Nukhba terrorists
- DevelopingShas and Degel HaTorah Torah Study Basic Law bills diverge in Knesset vote schedule
Source and signal
- Internal intake