La Derecha Diario The religious party Degel HaTorah leaves the governing coalition
It is due to the recruitment law. This doesn't imply the fall of Netanyahu's government, and new negotiations are expected
The religious party Degel HaTorah announced on Monday night its withdrawal from the coalition government. The reason is the controversial conscription law.
The decision was supported by a handwritten letter from the Lithuanian leader, Rabbi Dov Landau. He stated: "My opinion is that participation in the government and the coalition must end immediately, including the resignation from all involved positions".
In his letter, Rabbi Landau justified the drastic decision. He accused the authorities of attempting to "worsen the living conditions of Torah students, humiliate them, and crush them".
He also pointed out that the State repeatedly failed to fulfill its commitments to regularize the legal status of yeshiva youths. In this regard, he described them as "the crown of creation and the secret of its existence".
Sources within Degel HaTorah stated that this decision could also drag Agudat Israel and Shas parties out of the coalition. "Now the battle is to bring them back, and that will only happen if the Conscription Law is approved", they indicated.
It should be recalled that the Orthodox parties had already warned that they would leave the coalition if a final version of the law was not presented before the end of the day. In recent weeks, they refused to vote with the government, paralyzing legislative progress.
Members of the ruling coalition harshly criticized the chairman of the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, Yuli Edelstein. The latter failed to draft a law that would ease tensions. In addition, they accuse him of attempting to sabotage governmental stability.
Although both Degel HaTorah and Shas—which together hold 18 seats—were to leave the coalition, that would not automatically cause the fall of the government. For that to happen, Netanyahu would have to call early elections. Or the Knesset would have to pass a dissolution law, something unlikely while it is in recess.
Even so, the official departure of both parties would considerably weaken the prime minister's ability to advance any legislative initiative.
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