Haredi Parties Demand Action, Reject Netanyahu's Promises on Detention Law
Senior officials from the Haredi parties expressed strong skepticism toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statements regarding the proposed detention law aimed at protecting Torah students from arrest. The criticism comes amid growing frustration over Netanyahu's handling of key Haredi legislative issues, including the draft law and daycare legislation, which the parties claim he has previously abandoned despite public commitments.
A senior Haredi source said, "We are tired of words and promises; Netanyahu will be judged only by actions." The source recalled Netanyahu's past support for the draft law in the Knesset but accused him of ultimately burying it. Similar disappointment was voiced regarding the daycare law, which saw much discussion but no concrete progress.
The Haredi parties have issued a clear ultimatum: no legislation, including the attorney general split bill and media law, will advance in the current Knesset session unless the detention law and the Basic Law on Torah Study are passed. This stance was reinforced by Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Degel HaTorah leader Moshe Gafni during a recent dramatic meeting with Netanyahu, where they demanded immediate advancement of these laws and a firm commitment from the prime minister to secure a majority for their passage. They warned that failure to act would prompt calls for the Knesset's dissolution.
Netanyahu, addressing the issue at a press conference, condemned the arrests of Torah students, stating, "If you were told Torah students were being arrested in Europe, you would be horrified. We are arresting boys inside the yeshiva. This cannot be. I strongly oppose it."
The proposed detention law, detailed in a letter from Government Secretary Yossi Fox to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth, seeks to prevent arrests of Torah students who study under "effective supervision". The letter highlights that following a Supreme Court ruling, funding was cut to yeshivas with draft-eligible students, leading to economic sanctions on these institutions and their families. The current situation has caused significant unrest among Haredi families with sons serving in Haredi combat units and yeshiva frameworks. For the law to progress, the coalition must publish its text immediately, which has yet to occur.
