Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has reportedly asked Chareidi party leaders to commit to remaining in his right-wing bloc after the next election, but received no firm promises, according to a Channel 12 report.
The report says Netanyahu recently met with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Degel HaTorah leader Moshe Gafni, seeking assurances that the Chareidi parties would continue backing a coalition led by him rather than align with former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
During the meeting, Netanyahu reportedly argued that advancing legislation important to the Chareidi parties could help secure their continued support.
According to the report, Deri responded that without passage of two key bills—Basic Law: Torah Study and temporary legislation halting the arrests of yeshiva bochurim for 90 days—”there is nothing to talk about.”
Gafni was reportedly even less committal, telling Netanyahu that, based on the guidance of HaRav Dov Landau, “as of now, there is no bloc.” According to the report, Gafni indicated that even if the legislation is passed, it would not automatically guarantee support for Netanyahu after the elections.
In a separate conversation with representatives of Agudas Yisroel, Netanyahu reportedly sought similar commitments but was told: “First pass the laws, then we’ll talk.”
The report comes as the coalition races to pass legislation sought by the Chareidi parties before the Knesset is expected to dissolve later this month. Among the measures are Basic Law: Torah Study and legislation aimed at temporarily suspending the arrests of bnei yeshiva who have not complied with military draft orders.
Meanwhile, Shas announced Monday that it would not support the government’s Communications Law after changes sought by rabbinic leaders regarding Shabbos and inappropriate content were not included in the final version. The party said it would support a narrower version of the bill focused solely on regulatory reforms for new television channels if it is brought separately.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)