Commentator Slams Potential Haredi Coalition Deal
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
News commentator Amit Segal fiercely criticized the "Change Bloc's" potential coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties, arguing it breaks a core election promise tied to soldiers' lives. He questioned how those who linked Haredi draft evasion to soldier deaths could now partner with these parties. Segal warned this could mean soldiers were used as a "cynical tool" and called it the most significant broken promise in generations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Amit Segal criticized the "Change Bloc" for potentially forming a government with Haredi parties after pledging not to.
- Segal argued the Haredi draft exemption issue was presented as a matter of soldiers' lives, not just politics.
- He warned that if a coalition forms, soldiers and their families were used as a "cynical tool."
- Segal called the potential broken promise the "most blatant election promise broken in generations."
- He criticized media figures and politicians for not expressing shock at the potential broken pledges.
News commentator Amit Segal sharply criticized the possibility of the "Change Bloc" forming a government with ultra-Orthodox parties, especially after they had pledged not to do so. Speaking on the program "Meet the Press," Segal argued that the opposition to partnering with the Haredi parties was presented during the election campaign not as a typical political promise, but as a principled stance directly linked to the lives of IDF soldiers and the burden of service.
Segal highlighted that those who previously linked the non-drafting of Haredi men to soldiers' deaths would now have to explain their willingness to cooperate with Haredi parties. He distinguished this commitment from ordinary coalition agreements or budgetary decisions, framing it as a matter of life and death. Segal warned that if the new government supports legislation allowing continued draft exemptions for Haredim, it would mean that soldiers and their families were used as a "cynical tool for a political cause."
He further criticized commentators, media figures, and politicians who he claimed were not expressing shock at the potential broken promises. Segal described the possibility of a government with the Haredim as the "most blatant election promise broken in generations." He referenced statements attributed to Avigdor Lieberman suggesting such a coalition was imminent.
Segal recalled presenting the difficulty of these commitments to "Change Bloc" representatives during the election period, noting their insistence that they would uphold promises not to rely on Arab parties, not to sit with Netanyahu, and not to cooperate with the Haredim. He believes they cannot now backtrack on these pledges.
