MK Tzvi Sukkot Clashes with MK Elazar Stern Over Haredi Draft Debate

A heated verbal confrontation erupted on Thursday during a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session focused on the conscription of Haredi Jews. MK Tzvi Sukkot, who was chairing the discussion, faced interruptions and sharp remarks from opposition members, particularly MK Elazar Stern. Stern accused Sukkot of caring less about human lives, prompting a strong emotional response from Sukkot. "I have buried my friends, shame on you," Sukkot retorted, emphasizing his personal experience with loss. Stern continued to challenge him, asserting that Sukkot cared less, to which Sukkot angrily replied, "I have been to the funerals of my closest friends, one after another." The exchange highlighted the deep tensions surrounding the sensitive issue of Haredi military service in Israel.