Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel resigned from the government on Tuesday after voting against the law freezing the arrest of Bnei Yeshiva classified as draft evaders, declaring, “I can no longer stand by.”
The legislation was passed by the Knesset following a heated debate by a 59-54 vote. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu entered the plenum shortly before the vote but left without participating after opposition MKs greeted him with cries of “Shame.” During the debate, coalition MKs also criticized Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana for not presiding over the session himself while the prime minister was present.
In announcing her resignation, Haskel said she stood before the public “with a very heavy heart,” arguing that those serving on the front lines had been harmed by the legislation. “Today, after the law granting exemptions to draft evaders passed, I feel I cannot back the government. I have decided to resign,” she said. Haskel added that she could no longer support a government that, in her view, had harmed those defending the State of Israel.
The vote also drew criticism from within the coalition. Likud MK Dan Illouz, who voted against the bill, called its passage “a slap in the face.” MK Avi Maoz described the measure as “just a band-aid ahead of the elections,” saying those who study Torah should continue learning, while those who do not should enlist and participate in defending the country.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot sharply criticized the legislation, saying it reflected “the most reckless coalition in the history of Israel.” He accused the government of weakening the IDF during wartime despite repeated warnings from IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir.
In contrast, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri welcomed the law, saying the Knesset had sent a clear message that “enough is enough with the persecution” of Torah students and said the legislation marked the beginning of correcting what he described as an injustice.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
