MK Gottlieb Slams Haredi Leaders Over Draft Law, 'Where is Your Dignity?'

Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb of the Otzma Yehudit party issued a sharp critique of Haredi party leaders, particularly Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, regarding the draft law crisis and public perception of yeshiva students. Gottlieb stated in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat that Gafni, not Prime Minister Netanyahu, was responsible for broken promises on the issue. She reminded Gafni that she had agreed to legislate a draft law and that significant work had been done in the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, implying Gafni was the obstacle.

Gottlieb also directly appealed to the Haredi public, urging them not to succumb to media campaigns that portray them negatively. She questioned their dignity if they allow themselves to be called "parasites" and then remain passive. "You are not parasites," she asserted, emphasizing that despite societal disagreements, all Israelis share a common Jewish and national foundation and are loyal to the nation and the land.

Concluding with a political warning, Gottlieb cautioned against a government relying on figures like Jabareen and the Joint List, whom she accused of wanting to harm all Israelis. Her remarks come amid ongoing negotiations between the "change bloc" and Haredi parties, primarily concerning the status of yeshiva students. Sources within United Torah Judaism have indicated that any political cooperation is contingent on maintaining the status quo on religion and state issues. The controversy highlights the deep divisions surrounding the draft law and the preferential treatment afforded to the Haredi public by the political establishment.