A few short hours after the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael of Agudas Yisrael rejected the Shaked plan for a new draft law there was positive news, at is was reported a deal was reached, which received the approval of the council of admorim shlita.
It was a critical few hours for the coalition Sunday night, the eve of 25 Adar, for it appeared early elections were inevitable, as the Moetzas Gedolei Torah remained firm in its demands, that the matter of a new draft law be resolved before the chareidi representatives in Knesset would back the state budget.
As meetings continued on Sunday involving Deputy Minister Yaakov Litzman, seeking to ‘improve’ the draft submitted by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, messages were flowing back and forth between Litzman and some of the more senior admorim, including the Gerrer Rebbe, Belzer Rebbe and Vishnitzer Rebbe. The rebbes exhibited a willingness to compromise and accept a bill that was passed in its preliminary vote instead of three votes, preferring this over new elections. However, more or less at the same time Council Secretary Rabbi Mordechai Stern sent a letter telling the Agudas Yisrael representatives in Knesset the admorim remain firm, that the bill must pass all three votes before they can support the budget. It is unclear if Stern sent the letter by mistake, perhaps jumping the gun, or perhaps a pressure tactic on PM Netanyahu. Whatever the case may have been, an agreement was reached.
The change was basically the draft submitted by Shaked with modifications made by Deputy Minister Porush and MK Uri Maklev, simply stating if the chareidi induction quota is not met, the law will not be disqualified. Shaked’s version stated that if quotas are not met in 2021, then the law is disqualified, and the system reverts back to the law which applies to all Israelis and military service.
In contrast, in the Ben-Tzur version of the draft bill, if the goals are not met in 2021, the government will discuss what to do about the matter and its decision will be passed on to the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee. If the committee approves the cabinet decision, the defense minister will again delay. If the committee does not approve, then on to Knesset for approval. If the Knesset approves the government’s decision, fine, and if not, the law is valid until the Knesset passes a new law. ”
Agudat Yisrael rejects the claims that this is a farce and a zigzag, or as political elements defined it as “a jump from the tree.” They say that “this is a great achievement of abolishing the criminal sanctions that were contained in the original draft, and this is nothing of what it is and that is the significant achievement.”
“Now everyone knows,” they add, “that we chareidim agreed to a compromise and if they eventually go to this election or because of Netanyahu’s investigations or because of Lieberman who persists, we showed responsibility towards the state and agreed to compromise.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Can someone please explain to me why are elections so scary? Isn’t the reason why the frum Knesset members are in the Knesset to begin with is to do the right thing? So why compromise on something so monumental as the draft of yeshiva bochurim?
It sounds like in summary, Agudas Yisrael is announcing, “the triumph here is, we did our part to avoid elections!”