Haredi Lawmakers' Boycott Leads to Defeat of Bill Banning Red Cross Visits to Terrorist Prisoners

A bill proposing to ban visits by the Red Cross to terrorist prisoners in Israeli prisons was defeated in its first reading in the Knesset. The vote ended with 36 members supporting the bill and 41 opposing it. The defeat came after lawmakers from the Haredi parties boycotted the vote, significantly impacting the outcome. The bill aimed to restrict the Red Cross from visiting inmates classified as terrorists, but the absence of the Haredi faction's votes led to its failure in the parliamentary session.