Ultra-Orthodox Parties Secure Arrest Law Vote Amid Coalition Tensions

Following intense coalition tensions and threats from ultra-Orthodox factions, the coalition leadership decided overnight between Monday and Tuesday that the arrest law spearheaded by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri will be the next bill brought to a Knesset vote. This decision came after the Religious Zionism party pushed to prioritize other legislation, but the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism firmly opposed and pressured the coalition to act swiftly. Senior ultra-Orthodox officials emphasized, "The arrest law must be the next bill discussed in the Knesset," warning that Religious Zionism's leader Bezalel Smotrich was "playing with fire" and jeopardizing other key coalition bills, including the law weakening the Attorney General and the legal advisory reform worked on by Yariv Rotman. They threatened to withhold support for important coalition laws if the arrest law was not advanced first.

The arrest law, presented by Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth, aims to halt arrests of Torah students during the election period and shortly thereafter, hoping the next government will pass a conscription law. The bill, narrowly approved in committee by eight to seven, freezes arrest proceedings for 90 days. Ultra-Orthodox parties view it as essential to prevent arrests of yeshiva students until a new government forms.

This development follows the approval of the Basic Law on Torah Study in its second and third readings, marking the ultra-Orthodox factions' first legislative success in the current marathon session. The law passed with 63 votes in favor and 52 against, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu absent. United Torah Judaism chairman Moshe Gafni called it a "historic step," affirming Torah study as a fundamental value of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Aryeh Deri hailed it as a victory for the Torah world and a rebuke to the dismissed Attorney General and others who sought to persecute yeshiva students.

The ultra-Orthodox hope that together, the Basic Law on Torah Study and the arrest law will prevent arrests of Torah learners in the coming months until a new government is established. The legislative marathon began on Monday and will continue for five consecutive days through Friday morning.