Ultra-Orthodox Party to Abstain on No-Confidence Vote, Bolstering Opposition

In a significant political shift, members of the United Torah Judaism party, specifically MK Yitzhak Goldknopf and MK Yaakov Tessler, both representing the Gur Hasidic sect, will reportedly abstain from voting on the establishment of a minority government led by Gadi Eisenkot. This move, reported by Channel 12 News on Monday, signals a dramatic change in the party's relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Senior figures within Agudat Yisrael, the Hasidic faction of the party, stated that Goldknopf and Tessler will refrain from voting against the government. They anticipate that the remaining Agudat Yisrael representatives will also abstain. Furthermore, they estimate that Degel HaTorah, the Lithuanian faction, may also join in abstaining from the vote.

The decision stems from the Gur Hasidic leadership's desire to break away from Netanyahu, signaling that in their view, his political career has concluded. The Rebbe of Gur believes Netanyahu's time is up and is not inclined to prevent Eisenkot's government from forming. Simultaneously, they hope to gain political concessions through this maneuver.

This development occurs against a backdrop of prolonged tension between United Torah Judaism and Netanyahu. In August, Goldknopf criticized a detention bill proposed by Netanyahu, calling it a "spin not meant to solve anything." He previously stated that the Prime Minister had no intention of regulating the status of yeshiva students or passing a conscription law, which led to the party's departure from the government. Goldknopf described the past term as "difficult for the Haredi public and unprecedented," citing an "extremely cruel persecution campaign" against Torah scholars, and resigned from his government and coalition roles upon the instruction of senior rabbis.