Ultra-Orthodox Parties Warn They Will Block Attorney General Split Without Draft and Torah Bills

Senior figures in Israel’s Haredi parties said Thursday afternoon that they will not back splitting the attorney general’s role unless the coalition first delivers two promised bills, a Basic Law on Torah study and the arrests bill. They told Kikar HaShabbat that, despite their principled objection to the current legal advisory system, they want a clear quid pro quo before supporting the move.

The warning comes amid growing tension between the Haredi factions and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over legislation demanded by their electorate. The dispute follows what was described as a dramatic meeting two days earlier between Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and United Torah Judaism lawmaker Moshe Gafni and Netanyahu.

At that meeting, Deri and Gafni pressed for immediate продвижение, or advancement, of the two central bills for the Haredi public, and for Netanyahu to commit to securing a majority for them in the Knesset plenum. They also warned that if the Haredi legislation does not move ahead quickly, the Haredi parties will demand the immediate dissolution of the Knesset.

The article notes that if the coalition wants to move forward with Deri’s arrests bill, intended to stop the arrest of Torah students, the bill text must be circulated today. That has not yet happened.