Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday and Sunday, 17 Kislev, spoke with heads of the chareidi factions to inform them there will not be changes made to the draft bill and he plans to advance the original version of the bill to Knesset for a first reading. He explained that he intends to meet the High Court of Justice deadline, which is rapidly approaching.

Netanyahu’s coalition government announced Sunday that it will request an extension from the Supreme Court on an amendment to the nation’s draft law, enabling the narrow government to pass replacement legislation. With just one week until the previous extension given by the Supreme Court ends, coalition leaders in Netanyahu’s narrow 61-member government announced plans to request a second extension.

Deputy Minister Yaakov Litzman, of the Agudas Yisrael faction, reportedly told the Prime Minister that he will bring this latest development to the admorim of the Moetzas Gedolei Torah. Kikar Shabbos News reports Mr. Netanyahu has become aware from persons in Litzman’s circle that he will not be voting in favor of the bill as the decision of the Moetzas Gedolei Torah was clear, not open to interpretation, opposing the current form of the draft law. Should Litzman not vote for the bill, it would leave the government without a majority and this would lead to dissolving the Knesset and early elections.

Should that occur, the situation according to most would be significantly worse regarding the draft of bnei Torah since the deadline would arrive, 24 Kislev (December 2nd), and then the matter might be adjudicated by the High Court of Justice, which is likely to be less ‘chareidi friendly’ than the current version of the draft law. Once the vote is taken to dissolve the current Knesset, the bill would no longer advance, but placed on hold. Once the deadline arrives and a new draft law has not be legislated, the bnei Torah are left without a legal exemption and may all be drafted immediately.

The High Court will have the option of extending the holding period until following Knesset elections, but this is most unlikely and the lomdei Torah will find themselves in the hands of the High Court to decide their fate, not Knesset.

Most feel the chareidim will be the big losers if the bill is not passed, even in its current version. It now appears to be in the hands of the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael of Agudas Yisrael and it will depend how MKs Litzman, Meir Porush, Yisrael Eichler and Menachem Eliezer Moses present the realities at hand to the admorim. Clearly, if they are all for it, and seek to persuade the admorim, then there is a greater chance the council will not object. However, should they paint a picture like last time, the admorim may once again remain adamantly opposed to the current version of the bill.

Both Degel Hatorah and Shas have been working closely with PM Netanyahu to pass the bill, well-aware that back in the summer, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita told them “now is not the time to leave the government”, but Agudah, led primarily by Litzman, has held up any and all progress on passing the bill.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)