Coalition Faces Setback as Ultra-Orthodox Lawmakers Boycott Red Cross Prison Visit Ban Vote

The Israeli coalition suffered an embarrassment on June 29, 2026, when its proposed law to ban International Red Cross visits to terrorist prisoners failed its first reading in the Knesset. The bill was rejected by a vote of 41 against to 36 in favor. The failure followed a boycott by ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Knesset members, who refused to support coalition legislation until their own bills, preventing the arrest of draft dodgers and establishing a Basic Law on Torah study, were advanced. While the coalition agreed to postpone other bills due to the Haredi boycott, it chose to proceed with the Red Cross bill, introduced by MK Michal Waldiger and supported by Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Ben-Gvir claimed that the Shas party proposed to bring the bill up on Wednesday, but by then it would be irrelevant due to coalition opposition. After the vote, a near-physical confrontation erupted between MK Ayman Odeh and coalition chairman Ofir Katz, with both exchanging heated insults. The bill sought to prohibit International Red Cross representatives from entering prisons and detention centers under IDF control and to restrict information sharing about prisoners to approval by the National Security Minister or Defense Minister, based on security considerations.

Ben-Gvir accused Shas of undermining Israeli security by enabling what he called an "antisemitic" organization to visit terrorist prisoners and spread false accusations against prison guards and the state. He described the situation as a disgrace and compared it to a previous controversial political deal involving Aryeh Deri and Ahmad Tibi. The coalition's failure to pass the bill highlights internal divisions and the influence of the Haredi parties on legislative priorities.