Israeli United Torah Judaism Party Withdraws from Netanyahu's Government
Six of the remaining seven members of United Torah Judaism, comprising the Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael factions, wrote resignation letters. Yitzhak Goldknopf, the leader of UTJ, had resigned a month earlier.
This move will leave Netanyahu with a very slim majority of 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
It remains unclear whether Shas, another religiously conservative party, will follow suit.
The Degel HaTorah faction stated in a press release that after consulting with its principal rabbis and "after repeated violations by the government of its commitments to ensure the sacred status of Jewish religious school students who engage earnestly in their studies... (Knesset members) announced their resignation from the coalition and government."
The religiously conservative parties claim that drafting a law to exempt religious school students from military service was a key promise when they agreed to join the coalition in late 2022.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Jordan News
an hour ago
- Jordan News
Two Israeli Organizations Accuse Tel Aviv of Committing Genocide in Gaza - Jordan News
Two Israeli human rights organizations declared on Monday that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, becoming the first major voices from within Israeli society to make such a strong accusation, which Tel Aviv continues to deny. اضافة اعلان The organizations — B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI) — issued their reports during a press conference in Jerusalem, stating that Israel is engaged in a coordinated and deliberate effort to destroy Palestinian society in Gaza. Yuli Novak, Executive Director of B'Tselem, said: 'The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write.' He added: 'The residents of Gaza have been displaced, bombed, starved, and stripped entirely of their humanity and their rights.' PHRI's report focused on the destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza, stating that: 'Israel's actions have systematically and deliberately dismantled Gaza's healthcare infrastructure.' Israel has denied accusations of genocide since the start of the war on Gaza, including those raised in the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the charges as 'outrageous.' Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer described the accusations from the two organizations as 'baseless.' The Israeli military also rejected the findings, claiming they are unfounded and insisting it adheres to international law and takes unprecedented measures to avoid harming civilians, according to its statement. Genocide accusations carry significant weight in Israel, especially given the historical trauma of the Holocaust. Israeli officials have previously claimed that applying the term 'genocide' to Israel constitutes defamation and antisemitism. When Amnesty International declared in December that Israel had committed acts of genocide, the Israeli Foreign Ministry labeled the organization as 'biased and bigoted.' The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, drafted after the Nazi extermination of Jews, defines genocide as: 'Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.' International concern over the situation in Gaza has grown significantly in recent weeks, as UN agencies report severe shortages of food for the 2.2 million residents of the strip. Since early March, Israel blocked all supplies into Gaza, before allowing limited aid access in May under new restrictions. While Israel claims to comply with international law, it says it must prevent militants from diverting aid. Despite these claims, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of civilians attempting to reach food distribution points, according to the United Nations. In recent days, Israel has announced measures to increase aid, including localized ceasefires, airdrop deliveries, and safer humanitarian corridors. Throughout the conflict, Israeli media has focused primarily on the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Footage of destruction and civilian casualties in Gaza, widely broadcast internationally, is rarely shown on Israeli television. However, genocide allegations are not expected to dramatically shift public opinion in Israel. As quoted by Reuters: 'The Israeli perception remains: What do you want from us? This is Hamas' fault. If they laid down their arms and released the hostages, all of this would be over.'
Roya News
13 hours ago
- Roya News
Netanyahu to propose Gaza annexation plan to appease Smotrich
"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to propose a plan to annex parts of Gaza in a bid to prevent Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from pulling his Religious party out of the government, Haaretz reported Monday. According to the report, the plan would see "Israel" issue a short ultimatum to Hamas, offering a few days to agree to a ceasefire. If Hamas refuses, "Israel" would then begin implementing the annexation of specific areas within Gaza. The proposal is reportedly intended to appease far-right coalition members following Netanyahu's controversial decision to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, a move opposed by Smotrich's party.
Al Bawaba
a day ago
- Al Bawaba
Netanyahu: There is no starvation in Gaza
Published July 28th, 2025 - 11:38 GMT ALBAWABA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared a video denying the starvation in Gaza, despite the reports and videos circulating the internet stating otherwise. Netanyahu wrote in the video's caption, "There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals." He added, "We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They shall be there no more." Netanyahu: There is no starvation in Gaza There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals. We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They… — Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 28, 2025 The video in question was met with outrage from human rights activists who accused the prime minister of spreading propaganda and continuing the aggression on Gaza, despite rising famine. A social media user wrote on X under the video, "Our eyes tell us the opposite." Another Israeli social media user added, showcasing discontent with the current government, "You are a war criminal. STOP the war. Bring back all the hostages. Resign." The ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip has resulted in the killing of at least 59,000 Palestinians and the injuring of more than 144,000. Additionally, the starvation in Gaza has left 147 people dead, of whom 88 are children. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
