Likud’s Ophir Katz Blames the Left and Right-Wing Uncertainty for Failed Draft Bill
Coalition chairman MK Ophir Katz of Likud said the government’s draft legislation collapsed because of last-minute uncertainty inside the right-wing bloc, not because of the plan itself. In an interview with Kol Barama, he called it a “historic, good and important” bill that would have balanced Haredi enlistment with protecting Torah study, and blamed the left for turning it into a campaign issue. He said, “What did the left gain by there being no law? The numbers will not go up and there will be no breakthrough.”
Katz said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent hours trying to secure support, but some coalition MKs said they would not back it and then some Haredi parties also could not guarantee their votes at the decisive moment. “In a situation like this of uncertainty, you cannot bring such a complex bill to the plenum,” he said, adding that he and Netanyahu wanted to pass it for real, not trade blame. He also warned disappointed Haredi voters against turning away from coalition parties, asking, “What is the alternative? To go with people who said they should be thrown in wheelbarrows to the dump?”
On the recently passed Basic Law on Torah study, Katz rejected claims of a deal with Arab parties. He said there had been no contact or agreement with Arab lawmakers during his four years in office, and argued the bill passed by 13 votes, enough for a three-vote margin even if all 10 Arab MKs had voted against it. He said the legislation could still pass all three readings if the election timetable leaves enough time.
Katz also criticized Likud MK Dan Illouz for consistently opposing coalition moves, saying party members who do not act as a team are eventually pushed out in primaries. On the Knesset’s handling of MK Tally Gotliv’s immunity request in the Shin Bet disclosure affair, Katz defended his hard line and said he did not believe the attorney general’s office, arguing that only one side of the political map is being prosecuted. He also rejected reports that Netanyahu is considering not running again, saying he met the prime minister for 90 minutes on Wednesday and found him “sharp, strong, determined” and focused on winning the election. Katz said the biggest danger for the right is low turnout in Likud strongholds such as Afula and Tiberias, and urged supporters to get out and vote.
