Sharren Haskel Resigns as Deputy Foreign Minister Amid Controversy Over Haredi Draft Law

Israeli Member of Knesset Sharren Haskel announced her resignation as Deputy Foreign Minister on Tuesday following the approval of a bill freezing the detention of draft-dodging Haredi men. The resignation comes just days before the Knesset is set to dissolve ahead of elections scheduled for late October.

Media personality Ofira Asayag sharply criticized Haskel on social media, accusing her of cowardice and insincerity. Asayag posted an image of Haskel's resignation letter and claimed that Foreign Minister and party leader Gideon Sa'ar had lied to both Haskel and the Israeli public. She wrote, "Now you resign? Coward! You enjoyed the position very well and suddenly, right before the elections, you try to appear virtuous? I don't believe a word you say."

Haskel's own party also condemned her actions, accusing her of attempting to leverage party funding to secure a spot in the next Knesset. They described her effort to form a single-member faction hours before the Knesset's dissolution as "absurd, audacious, ungrateful, and legally unfounded." The party emphasized that she had already completed her term as Deputy Foreign Minister representing the faction.

The resignation and ensuing backlash highlight internal tensions within the party and the broader political landscape as Israel approaches its upcoming elections.